Bi-directional ultrafast electric-field gating of interlayer charge transport in a cuprate superconductor

Dienst A, Hoffmann MC, Fausti D, Petersen JC, Pyon S, Takayama T, Takagi H, Cavalleri A (2011)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2011

Journal

Nature Photonics Nature Publishing Group

Book Volume: 5

Pages Range: 485-488

Journal Issue: 8

DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.124

Abstract

In cuprate superconductors, tunnelling between planes makes three-dimensional superconductive transport possible. However, the interlayer tunnelling amplitude is reduced when an order-parameter-phase gradient between planes is established. As such, interlayer superconductivity along the c-axis can be weakened if a strong electric field is applied along the c-axis. In this Letter, we use high-field single-cycle terahertz pulses to gate interlayer coupling in La1.84Sr0.16CuO4. We induce ultrafast oscillations between superconducting and resistive states and switch the plasmon response on and off, without reducing the density of Cooper pairs. In-plane superconductivity remains unperturbed, revealing a non-equilibrium state in which the dimensionality of the superconductivity is time-dependent. The gating frequency is determined by the electric field strength. Non-dissipative, bi-directional gating of superconductivity is of interest for device applications in ultrafast nanoelectronics and represents an example of how nonlinear terahertz physics can benefit nanoplasmonics and active metamaterials. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Authors with CRIS profile

Daniele Fausti

Involved external institutions

University of Oxford GB United Kingdom (GB) Universität Hamburg (UHH) DE Germany (DE) University of Tokyo JP Japan (JP)

How to cite

APA:

Dienst, A., Hoffmann, M.C., Fausti, D., Petersen, J.C., Pyon, S., Takayama, T.,... Cavalleri, A. (2011). Bi-directional ultrafast electric-field gating of interlayer charge transport in a cuprate superconductor. Nature Photonics, 5(8), 485-488. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2011.124

MLA:

Dienst, A., et al. "Bi-directional ultrafast electric-field gating of interlayer charge transport in a cuprate superconductor." Nature Photonics 5.8 (2011): 485-488.

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