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1. Sketched Nanoscale KTaO3-Based Superconducting Quantum Interference Device

   https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.15.011037  

   Yu, Muqing; Hougland, Nicholas; Du, Qianheng; Yang, Junyi; Biswas, Sayanwita; Ramachandran, Ranjani; Yang, Dengyu; Bhattacharya, Anand; Pekker, David; Irvin, Patrick; et al (February 2025, Physical Review X)

   The discovery of two-dimensional superconductivity in ${\mathrm{LaAlO}}_3/{\mathrm{KTaO}}_3$(111) and (110) interfaces has raised significant interest in this system. In this paper, we report the first successful fabrication of a direct current superconducting quantum interference device (dc-SQUID) in the KTO system. The key device elements, superconducting weak links, are created by conductive atomic force microscope lithography, which can reversibly control the conductivity at the LAO/KTO (110) interface with nanoscale resolution. The periodic modulation of the SQUID critical current $I_{\mathrm{c}}\left(B\right)$with magnetic field corresponds well with our theoretical modeling, which reveals a large kinetic inductance of the superconducting two-dimensional electron gas in KTO. The kinetic inductance of the SQUID is tunable by electrical gating from the back, due to the large dielectric constant of KTO. The demonstration of weak links and SQUIDs in KTO broadens the scope for exploring the underlying physics of KTO superconductivity, including the role of spin-orbit coupling, pairing symmetry, and inhomogeneity. It also promotes KTO as a versatile platform for a growing family of quantum devices, which could be applicable in the realm of quantum computing and information. 

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2. Diamagnetic mechanism of critical current non-reciprocity in multilayered superconductors

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36786-5  

   Sundaresh, Ananthesh; Väyrynen, Jukka I.; Lyanda-Geller, Yuli; Rokhinson, Leonid P. (December 2023, Nature Communications)

   Abstract The suggestion that non-reciprocal critical current (NRC) may be an intrinsic property of non-centrosymmetric superconductors has generated renewed theoretical and experimental interest motivated by an analogy with the non-reciprocal resistivity due to the magnetochiral effect in uniform materials with broken spatial and time-reversal symmetry. Theoretically it has been understood that terms linear in the Cooper pair momentum do not contribute to NRC, although the role of higher-order terms remains unclear. In this work we show that critical current non-reciprocity is a generic property of multilayered superconductor structures in the presence of magnetic field-generated diamagnetic currents. In the regime of an intermediate coupling between the layers, the Josephson vortices are predicted to form at high fields and currents. Experimentally, we report the observation of NRC in nanowires fabricated from InAs/Al heterostructures. The effect is independent of the crystallographic orientation of the wire, ruling out an intrinsic origin of NRC. Non-monotonic NRC evolution with magnetic field is consistent with the generation of diamagnetic currents and formation of the Josephson vortices. This extrinsic NRC mechanism can be used to design novel devices for superconducting circuits. 

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3. Josephson Detection of Time Reversal Symmetry Breaking s +/- is Superconductivity in SnTe Nanowires

   Trimble, C.; Wei, M. T.; Kalantre, S. S.; Yuan, N. F.; Liu, P.; Cha, J. J.; Fu, L.; Williams, J. R. (January 2019, ArXiv.org)

   Exotic superconductivity, such as high TC, topological, and heavy-fermion superconductors, often rely on phase sensitive measurements to determine the underlying pairing. Here we investigate the proximity-induced superconductivity in nanowires of SnTe, where a s±is′ superconducting state is produced that lacks the time-reversal and valley-exchange symmetry of the parent SnTe. A systematic breakdown of three conventional characteristics of Josephson junctions -- the DC Josephson effect, the AC Josephson effect, and the magnetic diffraction pattern -- fabricated from SnTe nanowire weak links elucidates this novel superconducting state. Further, the AC Josephson effect reveals evidence of a Majorana bound state, tuned by a perpendicular magnetic field. This work represents the definitive phase-sensitive measurement of novel s±is′ superconductivity, providing a new route to the investigation of fractional vortices, topological superconductivity, topological phase transitions, and new types of Josephson-based devices. 

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4. Unconventional supercurrent phase in Ising superconductor Josephson junction with atomically thin magnetic insulator

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25608-1  

   Idzuchi, H.; Pientka, F.; Huang, K.-F.; Harada, K.; Gül, Ö.; Shin, Y. J.; Nguyen, L. T.; Jo, N. H.; Shindo, D.; Cava, R. J.; et al (December 2021, Nature Communications)

   Abstract In two-dimensional (2D) NbSe 2 crystal, which lacks inversion symmetry, strong spin-orbit coupling aligns the spins of Cooper pairs to the orbital valleys, forming Ising Cooper pairs (ICPs). The unusual spin texture of ICPs can be further modulated by introducing magnetic exchange. Here, we report unconventional supercurrent phase in van der Waals heterostructure Josephson junctions (JJs) that couples NbSe 2 ICPs across an atomically thin magnetic insulator (MI) Cr 2 Ge 2 Te 6 . By constructing a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), we measure the phase of the transferred Cooper pairs in the MI JJ. We demonstrate a doubly degenerate nontrivial JJ phase ( ϕ ), formed by momentum-conserving tunneling of ICPs across magnetic domains in the barrier. The doubly degenerate ground states in MI JJs provide a two-level quantum system that can be utilized as a new dissipationless component for superconducting quantum devices. Our work boosts the study of various superconducting states with spin-orbit coupling, opening up an avenue to designing new superconducting phase-controlled quantum electronic devices. 

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5. Atmospheric wind energization of ocean weather

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56310-1  

   Rai, Shikhar; Farrar, J Thomas; Aluie, Hussein (December 2025, Nature Communications)

   Abstract Ocean weather comprises vortical and straining mesoscale motions, which play fundamentally different roles in the ocean circulation and climate system. Vorticity determines the movement of major ocean currents and gyres. Strain contributes to frontogenesis and the deformation of water masses, driving much of the mixing and vertical transport in the upper ocean. While recent studies have shown that interactions with the atmosphere damp the ocean’s mesoscale vorticesO(100) km in size, the effect of winds on straining motions remains unexplored. Here, we derive a theory for wind work on the ocean’s vorticity and strain. Using satellite and model data, we discover that wind damps strain and vorticity at an equal rate globally, and unveil striking asymmetries based on their polarity. Subtropical winds damp oceanic cyclones and energize anticyclones outside strong current regions, while subpolar winds have the opposite effect. A similar pattern emerges for oceanic strain, where subtropical convergent flow is damped along the west-equatorward east-poleward direction and energized along the east-equatorward west-poleward direction. These findings reveal energy pathways through which the atmosphere shapes ocean weather. 

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