Electrically-controllable superconducting memory effect in UTe2
Fuente:
arXiv
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| _version_ | 1866915971426418688 |
|---|---|
| author | Wu, Zheyu Chen, Hanyi Long, Mengmeng Shaffer, Daniel Chichinadze, Dmitry V. Cabala, Andrej Weinberger, Theodore I. Hickey, Alexander J. Pu, Jinxu Graf, Dave Sechovsky, Vladimir Valiska, Michal Li, Gang Zhou, Rui Grosche, F. Malte Eaton, Alexander G. |
| author_facet | Wu, Zheyu Chen, Hanyi Long, Mengmeng Shaffer, Daniel Chichinadze, Dmitry V. Cabala, Andrej Weinberger, Theodore I. Hickey, Alexander J. Pu, Jinxu Graf, Dave Sechovsky, Vladimir Valiska, Michal Li, Gang Zhou, Rui Grosche, F. Malte Eaton, Alexander G. |
| contents | If a computer could be assembled from superconducting components, the energy efficiency would far surpass that of conventional electronics. Historic research efforts towards this goal yielded pivotal breakthroughs in the development and discovery of scanning tunnelling microscopy and high temperature superconductivity. Although recent strides have been taken in advancing superconducting diode and switching technologies, harnessing read/writeable memory functionality in superconducting platforms has remained challenging. Here we show that bulk single crystal specimens of the triplet superconductor candidate uranium ditelluride (UTe$_2$) possess such properties. Upon applying a magnetic field to access an intermediate regime straddling two distinct superconducting phases, we find that direct current pulses can push the material in and out of a metastable state possessing an enhanced critical current $J_c$. This switching is controllable by the strength and duration of the stimuli, with the system `remembering' whether it is in the high or low $J_c$ state for extended periods. We interpret this to be due to competition between two distinct vortex species, which can be perturbatively pushed into a non-equilibrium high-disorder configuration with stronger pinning forces and thus higher $J_c$. Rather than requiring proximate magnetic or semiconducting interfaces, this memory functionality appears to be an intrinsic property of UTe$_2$ rooted in the superconducting order itself. Our findings underscore the rich complexity of quantum vortex matter, and demonstrate the viability of engineering a new class of superconducting memory elements with ultralow-power switching. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_02450 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Electrically-controllable superconducting memory effect in UTe2 Wu, Zheyu Chen, Hanyi Long, Mengmeng Shaffer, Daniel Chichinadze, Dmitry V. Cabala, Andrej Weinberger, Theodore I. Hickey, Alexander J. Pu, Jinxu Graf, Dave Sechovsky, Vladimir Valiska, Michal Li, Gang Zhou, Rui Grosche, F. Malte Eaton, Alexander G. Superconductivity Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Materials Science Strongly Correlated Electrons If a computer could be assembled from superconducting components, the energy efficiency would far surpass that of conventional electronics. Historic research efforts towards this goal yielded pivotal breakthroughs in the development and discovery of scanning tunnelling microscopy and high temperature superconductivity. Although recent strides have been taken in advancing superconducting diode and switching technologies, harnessing read/writeable memory functionality in superconducting platforms has remained challenging. Here we show that bulk single crystal specimens of the triplet superconductor candidate uranium ditelluride (UTe$_2$) possess such properties. Upon applying a magnetic field to access an intermediate regime straddling two distinct superconducting phases, we find that direct current pulses can push the material in and out of a metastable state possessing an enhanced critical current $J_c$. This switching is controllable by the strength and duration of the stimuli, with the system `remembering' whether it is in the high or low $J_c$ state for extended periods. We interpret this to be due to competition between two distinct vortex species, which can be perturbatively pushed into a non-equilibrium high-disorder configuration with stronger pinning forces and thus higher $J_c$. Rather than requiring proximate magnetic or semiconducting interfaces, this memory functionality appears to be an intrinsic property of UTe$_2$ rooted in the superconducting order itself. Our findings underscore the rich complexity of quantum vortex matter, and demonstrate the viability of engineering a new class of superconducting memory elements with ultralow-power switching. |
| title | Electrically-controllable superconducting memory effect in UTe2 |
| topic | Superconductivity Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Materials Science Strongly Correlated Electrons |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.02450 |