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Terahertz conduction of SmB<sub>6</sub> thin films and superconducting SmB<sub>6</sub>/YB<sub>6</sub> heterostructures

ORAL

Abstract

Following a 2010 prediction that the anomalous low-temperature conduction in the Kondo insulator SmB6 is due to a topological surface state, making SmB6 the first topological Kondo insulator, a flurry of experimental efforts have produced promising but often inconsistent or contradictory characterizations. While a number of recent studies have attempted to harmonize these results, many experimental discrepancies remain unresolved. Here, we investigate via time domain terahertz spectroscopy the AC conduction of SmB6 thin films and heterostructures of SmB6 and the superconductor YB6. The conduction of SmB6 thin films is found to be accurately described by a two-channel model of surface and bulk states while the heterostucture conduction concords with the Mattis-Bardeen formalism of BCS superconductivity. These results support the existence of surface conducting states in SmB6 susceptible to the superconducting proximity effect.

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Presenters

  • Jonathan Stensberg

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

Authors

  • Jonathan Stensberg

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

  • Xingyue Han

    University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania

  • Seunghun Lee

    Department of Physics, Pukyong National University, Department of Physics, Busan National University

  • Johnpierre Paglione

    University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland Quantum Materials Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, Quantum Materials Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland College Park, Quantum Materials Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland Quantum Materials Center and Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland

  • Ichiro Takeuchi

    University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Materials Science, University of Maryland, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland

  • Liang Wu

    University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania