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Andreev reflection (AR) in a normal-metal/quantum-dot/superconductor (N–QD–S) system with coupled Majorana bound states (MBSs) is investigated theoretically. We find that in the N–QD–S system, the AR can be enhanced when coupling to the MBSs is incorporated. Fano line-shapes can be observed in the AR conductance spectrum when there is an appropriate QD–MBS coupling or MBS–MBS coupling. The AR conductance is always e2/2h at the zero Fermi energy point when only QD–MBSs coupling is considered. In addition, the resonant AR occurs when the MBS–MBS coupling roughly equals to the QD energy level. We also find that an AR antiresonance appears when the QD energy level approximately equals to the sum of the QD–MBS coupling and the MBS–MBS coupling. These features may serve as characteristic signatures for the probe of MBSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–semiconductor Janus nanostructures with asymmetry and directionality have recently aroused significant interest, both in fundamental light–matter interactions mechanism and in technological applications. Here we report the synthesis of different Au–ZnO Janus nanostructures via a facile one-pot colloid method. The growth mechanism is revealed by a series of designed synthesis experiments. The light absorption properties are determined by both the decrease of dipole oscillations of the free electrons and the plasmon-induced hot-electron transfer. Moreover, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation method is used to elucidate the electric field distributions of these Janus nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When two three-dimensional topological insulators (TIs) are brought close to each other with their surfaces aligned, the surfaces form a line junction. Similarly, three TI surfaces, not lying in a single plane, can form an atomic-scale nanostep junction. In this paper, Andreev reflection in a TI–TI–superconductor nanostep junction is investigated theoretically. Because of the existence of edge states along each line junction, the conductance for a nanostep junction is suppressed. When the incident energy (ɛ) of an electron is larger than the superconductor gap (Δ), the Andreev conductance in a step junction is less than unity while for a plane junction it is unity. The Andreev conductance is found to depend on the height of the step junction. The Andreev conductance exhibits oscillatory behavior as a function of the junction height with the amplitude of the oscillations remaining unchanged when ɛ = 0, but decreasing for ɛ = Δ, which is different from the case of the plane junction. The height of the step is therefore an important parameter for Andreev reflection in nanostep junctions, and plays a role similar to that of the delta potential barrier in normal metal–superconductor plane junctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, the Ta/HfOx/BN/TiN resistive switching devices are fabricated and they exhibit low power consumption and high uniformity each. The reset current is reduced for the HfOx/BN bilayer device compared with that for the Ta/HfOx/TiN structure. Furthermore, the reset current decreases with increasing BN thickness. The HfOx layer is a dominating switching layer, while the low-permittivity and high-resistivity BN layer acts as a barrier of electrons injection into TiN electrode. The current conduction mechanism of low resistance state in the HfOx/BN bilayer device is space-charge-limited current (SCLC), while it is Ohmic conduction in the HfOx device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]