Four-terminal graphene-superconductor thermal switch controlled by the superconducting phase difference

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Liu, Peng-Yi, Mao, Yue, Sun, Qing-Feng
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Liu, Peng-Yi
Mao, Yue
Sun, Qing-Feng
author_facet Liu, Peng-Yi
Mao, Yue
Sun, Qing-Feng
contents We propose a superconducting phase-controlled thermal switch based on a four-terminal graphene-superconductor system. By the coupling of two superconducting leads on a zigzag graphene nanoribbon, both the normal-transmission coefficient and the crossed-Andreev-reflection coefficient, which dominate the thermal conductivity of electrons in the graphene nanoribbon, can be well controlled simultaneously by the phase difference of the superconducting leads. As a result, the thermal conductivity of electrons in the graphene nanoribbon can be tuned and a thermal switching effect appears. Using the nonequilibrium Green's function method, we verify this thermal switching effect numerically. At ambient temperatures less than about one tenth of the superconducting transition temperature, the thermal switching ratio can exceed 2000. The performance of the thermal switch can be regulated by the ambient temperature, and doping or gating can slightly increase the thermal switching ratio. The use of narrower graphene nanoribbons and wider superconducting leads facilitates the obtaining of larger thermal switching ratios. This switching effect of electronic thermal conductance in graphene is expected to be experimentally realized and applied.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_21754
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Four-terminal graphene-superconductor thermal switch controlled by the superconducting phase difference
Liu, Peng-Yi
Mao, Yue
Sun, Qing-Feng
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Applied Physics
We propose a superconducting phase-controlled thermal switch based on a four-terminal graphene-superconductor system. By the coupling of two superconducting leads on a zigzag graphene nanoribbon, both the normal-transmission coefficient and the crossed-Andreev-reflection coefficient, which dominate the thermal conductivity of electrons in the graphene nanoribbon, can be well controlled simultaneously by the phase difference of the superconducting leads. As a result, the thermal conductivity of electrons in the graphene nanoribbon can be tuned and a thermal switching effect appears. Using the nonequilibrium Green's function method, we verify this thermal switching effect numerically. At ambient temperatures less than about one tenth of the superconducting transition temperature, the thermal switching ratio can exceed 2000. The performance of the thermal switch can be regulated by the ambient temperature, and doping or gating can slightly increase the thermal switching ratio. The use of narrower graphene nanoribbons and wider superconducting leads facilitates the obtaining of larger thermal switching ratios. This switching effect of electronic thermal conductance in graphene is expected to be experimentally realized and applied.
title Four-terminal graphene-superconductor thermal switch controlled by the superconducting phase difference
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21754