Synthesis of superconductor-topological insulator nanoribbon heterostructures

Superconductors in proximity to topological insulators (TIs) have the potential to unlock exotic quantum phenomena, such as Majorana fermions. Quasi-one dimensional structures are particularly suited to host these quantum states. Despite the growth of TI nanostructures being relatively straightforward, the in-situ synthesis of superconductor-TI structures has been challenging. Here, we present a systematic study of the growth of the s-wave superconductor Sn on the TI Bi2Te3 by physical vapor transport. If Sn does not enter the Bi2Te3 lattice as a dopant, two types of structures are formed: Sn nanoparticles, that cover Bi2Te3 plates and belts in a cloud-like shape, and thin Sn layers on Bi2Te3 plates, that appear in puddle-like recessions. These heterostructures have potential applications as novel quantum devices.