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Due to the locking of the electron spin to the momentum at the conducting surface of a 3D topological insulator, new physical phenomena arise in transport and superconductivity. The topological nature of surface states can be evidenced by measuring the Berry phase of quantum oscillations in magnetotransport. I will quickly review the current status of the Bi-based class of 3D topological insulators in terms of how good a topological insulator one can make nowadays. Also the conducting interface between insulating LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 bears great resemblance to these topological surfaces. When superconductivity is induced into a topological state by using the proximity effect or a Josephson junction configuration, the superconducting order parameter can have a large p-wave component, leading to Andreev bound states at zero energy, the so-called Majorana states. I will review the status of our experiments on topological Josephson junctions based on the Bi-based 3D topological insulators, as well as conducting interfaces between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3.

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Alexander Brinkmann, University of Twente
Seminar Room of the Institute of Physics II (R201)
Contact: Paul H.M. van Loosdrecht