Data set of "Large superconducting diode effect in ion-beam patterned Sn-based superconductor nanowire/topological Dirac semimetal planar heterostructures"

Superconductor/topological material heterostructures are intensively studied as a platform for topological superconductivity and Majorana physics. However, the high cost of nanofabrication and the difficulty of preparing high-quality interfaces between the two dissimilar materials are common obstacles that hinder the observation of intrinsic physics and the realisation of scalable topological devices and circuits. Here, we demonstrate an innovative method to directly draw nanoscale superconducting beta-tin (β-Sn) patterns of any shape in the plane of a topological Dirac semimetal (TDS) alpha-tin (α-Sn) thin film by irradiating a focused ion beam (FIB). We utilise the property that α-Sn undergoes a phase transition to superconducting β-Sn upon heating by FIB. In β-Sn nanowires embedded in a TDS α-Sn thin film, we observe large non-reciprocal superconducting transport, where the critical current changes by 69% upon reversing the current direction. The superconducting diode rectification ratio η reaches a maximum of 35% when the magnetic field is applied parallel to the current, distinguishing itself from all the previous reports. Moreover, it oscillates between alternate signs with increasing magnetic field strength. The angular dependence of η on the magnetic field and current directions is similar to that of the chiral anomaly effect in TDS α-Sn, suggesting that the SDE may occur at the α-Sn/β-Sn interfaces where the TDS α-Sn becomes superconducting by a proximity effect. As superconducting TDSs are expected candidates for topological superconductivity and harboring Majorana bound states, the ion-beam patterned Sn-based superconductor/TDS planar structures thus show promise as a universal platform for investigating novel quantum physics and devices based on topological superconducting circuits of any shape.