Supercurrents Through Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
A. Yu. Kasumov,
12
R. Deblock,
1
M. Kociak,
1
B. Reulet,
1
H. Bouchiat,
1*
I. I. Khodos,
2
Yu. B. Gorbatov,
2
V. T. Volkov,
2
C. Journet,
3
M. Burghard
4
Proximity-induced superconductivity in single-walled carbon
nanotubes below 1 kelvin, both in a single tube 1 nanometer in diameter
and in crystalline ropes containing about 100 nanotubes, was observed.
The samples were suspended between two superconducting electrodes,
permitting structural study in a transmission electron microscope. When
the resistance of the nanotube junction is sufficiently low, it becomes
superconducting and can carry high supercurrents. The temperature and
magnetic field dependence of the critical current of such junctions
exhibits unusual features related to their strong one-dimensional
character.
1 Laboratoire de Physique des Solides,
Associé au CNRS, Bâtiment 510, Université Paris-Sud,
91405, Orsay, France.
2 Institute of
Microelectronics Technology and High Purity Materials, Russian Academy
of Sciences, Chernogolovka 142432 Moscow Region, Russia.
3 Groupe de Dynamique des Phases Condensées,
Université Montpellier II, 34095 Montpellier, France.
4 Max-Planck-Institute, D-70506 Stuttgart, Germany.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
bouchiat{at}lps.u-psud.fr
