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Tuning the Josephson current in carbon nanotubes with the Kondo effect

A. Eichler, R. Deblock, M. Weiss, C. Karrasch, V. Meden, C. Schönenberger, and H. Bouchiat
Phys. Rev. B 79, 161407(R) – Published 28 April 2009

Abstract

We investigate the Josephson current in a single wall carbon nanotube connected to superconducting electrodes. We focus on the parameter regime in which transport is dominated by Kondo physics. A sizeable supercurrent is observed for odd number of electrons on the nanotube when the Kondo temperature TK is sufficiently large compared to the superconducting gap. On the other hand when, in the center of the Kondo ridge, TK is slightly smaller than the superconducting gap, the supercurrent is found to be extremely sensitive to the gate voltage VBG. Whereas it is largely suppressed at the center of the ridge, it shows a sharp increase at a finite value of VBG. This increase can be attributed to a doublet-singlet transition of the spin state of the nanotube island leading to a π shift in the current phase relation. This transition is very sensitive to the asymmetry of the contacts and is in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

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  • Received 10 March 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.79.161407

©2009 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Eichler1, R. Deblock2, M. Weiss1, C. Karrasch3, V. Meden3, C. Schönenberger1, and H. Bouchiat2

  • 1Department of Physics, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland
  • 2Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS, UMR 8502, Université Paris-Sud, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France
  • 3Institut für Theoretische Physik A and JARA—Fundamentals of Future Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany

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Issue

Vol. 79, Iss. 16 — 15 April 2009

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