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Superconducting diode effect in selectively grown topological insulator based Josephson junctions

Gerrit Behner*, Abdur Rehman Jalil, Detlev Grützmacher, and Thomas Schäpers†

  • *Contact author: g.behner@fz-juelich.de
  • †Contact author: th.schaepers@fz-juelich.de
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Phys. Rev. B 113, 035440 – Published 28 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gc7k-rn8q

Abstract

The Josephson diode effect, where the switching current magnitude depends on its direction, arises when both time-reversal and inversion symmetries are broken, often achieved by a combination of spin-orbit interaction and applied magnetic fields. Taking advantage of the strong spin-orbit coupling inherent in three-dimensional topological insulators, we study this phenomenon in Nb/Bi0.8Sb1.2Te3/Nb Josephson weak-link junctions. Under an in-plane magnetic field perpendicular to the current direction, we observe a pronounced Josephson diode effect with efficiencies up to 7%. A crucial component of this behavior is the nonsinusoidal current-phase relationship and an anomalous phase shift, which we attribute to the presence of a ballistic supercurrent component due to the surface states. These findings open up new avenues for harnessing and controlling the Josephson diode effect in topological material systems.

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Phys. Rev. B 113, 035440– Published 28 January, 2026
  • Received 13 March 2025
  • Revised 11 August 2025
  • Accepted 22 October 2025
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