Collaborative Research: Optimizing KTaO3 Superconductivity for Quantum Applications

Non-Technical The project focuses on the development and understanding of a new class of “two-dimensional superconductors” – ultra thin materials, in which electric current can flow without resistance. The research addresses technical challenges through basic materials studies and the development of thin film deposition techniques. The high-quality films grown in this project impact the theoretical understanding of two-dimensional superconductors. The fabricated devices allow the researchers to assess the suitability of the proposed materials as a platform for quantum information processing. These research activities contribute to training of undergraduate and graduate students in advanced quantum and nanotechnological research. The project also includes outreach in the local community, with a special focus on broadening the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM. Technical This project aims to explore the nature of the recently discovered two-dimensional anisotropic superconductor KTaO3. The researchers grow high quality heterostructures of KTaO3 and characterizes them with local and global techniques. They plan to make Josephson junctions and kinetic inductors along various crystallographic directions to investigate the nature of anisotropic superconductivity in this system. They also plan to explore the possibility of controlling these structures using external electric-field gating. These studies serve as an initial suitability assessment of KTaO3 as an intrinsic and low-noise platform for quantum information processing. The project also provides training opportunities for graduate, undergraduate and high school students in electronic device fabrication and measurements (Finkelstein lab) and thin film deposition and materials characterization (Ahadi lab). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.