Engineering Superconductivity and Magnetism at the Atomic Scale
Speaker: Dr Katerina Vaxevani
Affiliation: University of Queensland
Abstract
Superconductivity and magnetism are two fascinating phenomena in condensed-matter physics. Their interplay can give rise to new quantum states with relevance to spintronics, quantum technologies, and topological superconductivity. In this talk, I will introduce how superconductivity can be induced into an otherwise normal metal through the superconducting proximity effect, and how we can use the scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/STS) to probe these materials and their properties at the atomic scale. I will then discuss our work developing thin noble-metal films on elemental superconductors as platforms for combining superconductivity with molecular magnetism. Using Au and Ag films grown on superconducting substrates, we can create suitable surfaces for molecular adsorption and on-surface synthesis. Magnetic molecules on these platforms retain their spin character, while their interaction with the superconducting state is revealed by the emergence of in-gap excitations, providing a direct signature of exchange coupling between the molecular spins and the superconductor. Finally, I will show how these ideas can be extended to carbon-based spin chains. Together, these experiments illustrate how these heterostructures can provide a versatile playground for exploring the interaction between magnetism and superconductivity, from individual molecular spins to designer quantum spin systems.
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