PECASE: Superconductor/Carbon-Nanotube Junctions and Interfaces

提案标题：PECASE：超导体/碳纳米管结和接口机构：乔治敦大学这个PECASE项目解决纳米电子学研究，并介绍了这一主题在研究生水平，也本科非科学专业。研究重点是碳纳米管/超导体材料，并将探索纳米管/超导体结。具体目标是：1）通过使用液态金属和具有低熔点的金属，在高透明度和低透明度接触状态下实现对超导体/纳米管界面的控制。2)研究了超导邻近效应、直流和交流约瑟夫森效应以及单结和多结中的量子纠缠。微流体MEMS技术将用于将液态金属和低熔点金属附着到纳米管上。界面的性质将通过改变温度通过液体，固体和超导转变进行研究。纳米管装置也将使用铝或铝-铝双层作为超导电极。铌-铝双层也将被用来形成低透明度的界面，通过氧化铝形成隧道势垒，用于纳米管中库珀对隧穿的研究。这项研究的潜在影响超出了纳米管和超导性的相互作用。接触界面的控制对于未来大规模生产纳米管器件以确保可靠性和保持尽可能低的发热是必不可少的。将纳米管与微流控MEMS技术结合的发展也将提高纳米管用作生物和化学传感器的可能性。该项目涉及与技术相关的基础材料科学研究问题。该研究计划提供了良好的机会，在使用先进的科学设备的实践经验。此外，研究将通过在“事物如何工作”课程中引入纳米技术而进入非科学专业的课堂。该项目的一个重要特点是高度重视教育，并将研究与教育相结合。 该项目最初是作为职业奖资助的，并于2004年9月转换为工程师和科学家总统早期职业奖（PECASE）奖。

Proposal Title: PECASE: Superconductor/Carbon-Nanotube Junctions and InterfacesInstitution: Georgetown UniversityThis PECASE project addresses nanoelectronics research and introduces this topic at the graduate level, and also to undergraduate non-science majors. The research focuses on carbon-nanotube/superconductor materials, and will explore nanotube/superconductor junctions. Spe-cific goals are: 1) Achieving control of superconductor/nanotube interfaces, both in the high-transparency and low-transparency contact regime, by using liquid metals and metals with low melting point. 2) Studying the superconducting proximity effect, DC and AC Josephson effect, and quantum entanglement in single and multiple junctions. Microfluidic MEMS techniques will be used to attach liquid metals and metals with low melting point to nanotubes. Properties of interfaces will be studied by varying the temperature through the liquid, solid and superconducting transitions. Nanotube devices will also be made using aluminum or niobium-aluminum bilayers as superconducting electrodes. Niobium-aluminum bilayers will also be used to form low-transparency interfaces by oxidizing the aluminum to form a tunnel barrier for the study of Cooper pair tunneling in nanotubes. The research has potential impact beyond the interplay of nanotubes and superconductivity. Control of the contact interface is essential for future mass-production of nanotube devices to assure reliability and to keep heating as low as possible. De-velopment of the integration of nanotubes with microfluidic MEMS techniques will also enhance the possibility to use nanotubes as biological and chemical sensors.The project addresses fundamental materials science research issues having technological relevance. The research program provides excellent opportunities for hands-on experience in the use of sophisticated scientific equipment. Additionally, research will be brought into the classrooms of non-science majors by introducing nanotechnology in a course on How Things Work. An important feature of the project is the strong emphasis on education, and the integration of research and education. This project was originally funded as a CAREER award, and was converted to a Presidential Early Career Award for Engineers and Scientists (PECASE) award in September 2004.