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arxiv: 2604.26631 · v2 · submitted 2026-04-29 · ❄️ cond-mat.supr-con

Recognition: unknown

Programmable superconducting diode from nematic domain control in FeSe

C. Putzke, E. D. Bauer, F. Ronning, L. Holeschovsky, N. E. Hussey, P. J. W. Moll, R. D. H. Hinlopen, R. Nicholls

Pith reviewed 2026-05-07 13:20 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ❄️ cond-mat.supr-con
keywords superconducting diode effectnematic domainsFeSevortex pinningtwin boundariesprogrammable superconductivityquench dynamics
0
0 comments X

The pith

Nematic domains in FeSe encode a programmable superconducting diode whose polarity and strength are reconfigured by microsecond current pulses.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper shows that the superconducting diode effect in FeSe arises intrinsically from vortices interacting with nematic twin boundaries, reaching efficiencies near 75 percent. The configuration of these domain walls determines the diode's directionality and performance, making the effect tunable rather than fixed by crystal structure or device shape. Rapid heating from intense current pulses quenches the nematic order at rates above 10 million kelvin per second, allowing the domain pattern to be rewritten on demand and thereby reprogramming the diode. This approach turns a normally static circuit element into one that can be altered after fabrication. A sympathetic reader would care because it opens a route to superconducting devices whose function is stored in and controlled by electronic order rather than geometry.

Core claim

In the nematic superconductor FeSe the superconducting diode effect is produced by vortices interacting with nematic twin boundaries. The resulting nonreciprocal critical currents reach efficiencies up to 75 percent. The polarity and magnitude of the diode are set by the particular arrangement of these domain walls. Intense microsecond current pulses heat the sample fast enough to quench the nematic order, after which the domain pattern can be reset and the diode reprogrammed.

What carries the argument

Vortex motion across nematic twin boundaries, whose spatial pattern is rewritten by rapid quenching of the nematic order with microsecond current pulses.

If this is right

  • The diode polarity can be switched in place by a single current pulse that reorients the domain walls.
  • Device performance can be tuned between high and low efficiency states without changing the sample geometry.
  • Superconducting circuit elements can store their function in the configuration of correlated electronic domains.
  • Multiple diodes with independent polarities can be defined on one chip by local domain patterning.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • Similar domain-control methods could be tested in other nematic or stripe-ordered superconductors to see whether the same programming principle applies.
  • The approach may allow superconducting logic or memory elements whose state is set by a brief current pulse rather than by external magnetic fields.
  • If the domain walls can be moved or stabilized at lower currents, the same platform might support low-power, nonvolatile superconducting switches.

Load-bearing premise

The diode effect is produced by vortices pinned or scattered at nematic twin boundaries, and the current pulses alter only the domain pattern without introducing permanent damage, heating artifacts, or other uncontrolled changes.

What would settle it

If the critical-current asymmetry disappears or reverses when the same domain pattern is imaged before and after the pulses, or if the asymmetry persists when twin boundaries are absent or fixed in place.

read the original abstract

The superconducting diode effect (SDE) allows polarity-dependent critical currents when time-reversal and current-inverting spatial symmetries are broken. Superconducting diodes show promise for applications, but inversion asymmetry is usually encoded in sample geometry or non-centrosymmetric crystals, rendering them static circuit elements. Here we demonstrate a programmable superconducting diode whose functionality is encoded in correlated electronic domains. We use the nematic superconductor FeSe as a platform and report a large intrinsic SDE with efficiencies up to $\eta \sim 75\%$ due to vortices interacting with nematic twin boundaries. The domain wall configuration thus encodes the SDE of the device. Through intense microsecond current pulses to quench the nematic order at rates exceeding $10^7$ K/s, we modify the domain pattern and control the polarity and strength of the SDE. These results establish a new paradigm in which superconducting circuit elements can be programmed through patterns imprinted into correlated electronic states.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

2 major / 1 minor

Summary. The manuscript reports an experimental demonstration of a programmable superconducting diode in the nematic superconductor FeSe. The SDE is encoded in the configuration of correlated electronic (nematic) domains, with efficiencies up to ~75% attributed to vortex interactions with twin boundaries. Intense microsecond current pulses are used to quench the nematic order at rates >10^7 K/s, thereby reprogramming the domain pattern to control SDE polarity and strength.

Significance. If substantiated with detailed controls, this represents a significant advance by establishing programmable superconducting functionality through imprinting patterns in correlated electronic states rather than fixed geometry or crystal asymmetry. It introduces a new paradigm for reconfigurable superconducting circuit elements with potential applications in low-power electronics and quantum devices. The platform leverages intrinsic nematicity in FeSe in a novel way.

major comments (2)
  1. [Abstract] Abstract: The central claim that the observed SDE arises specifically from vortices interacting with nematic twin boundaries (rather than other pinning mechanisms) and that the microsecond pulses achieve selective quenching of nematic order at >10^7 K/s without artifacts is load-bearing for the programmability result. However, the abstract provides no measurement details, error bars, control experiments, or data exclusion criteria, making it impossible to evaluate the 75% efficiency claim or rule out confounding effects such as local Joule heating or vortex dynamics induced by the pulses.
  2. [Results section (pulse-quenching experiments)] Results section (pulse-quenching experiments): The assertion that the pulses modify only the domain pattern to control SDE polarity/strength requires explicit evidence that they do not introduce uncontrolled changes to the superconducting state (e.g., heating above Tc, defect creation, or altered vortex pinning). Without time-resolved thermometry, post-pulse characterization, or comparison to non-quenching controls, the attribution to clean nematic reconfiguration remains insecure.
minor comments (1)
  1. [Abstract] Abstract: The symbol η for efficiency is introduced without a brief inline definition or reference to its calculation (e.g., from critical current asymmetry); adding this would aid immediate readability.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

2 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their positive evaluation of the significance of our work and for the constructive comments. We address each major point below with specific references to the manuscript and indicate where revisions will be made.

read point-by-point responses

  1. Referee: [Abstract] Abstract: The central claim that the observed SDE arises specifically from vortices interacting with nematic twin boundaries (rather than other pinning mechanisms) and that the microsecond pulses achieve selective quenching of nematic order at >10^7 K/s without artifacts is load-bearing for the programmability result. However, the abstract provides no measurement details, error bars, control experiments, or data exclusion criteria, making it impossible to evaluate the 75% efficiency claim or rule out confounding effects such as local Joule heating or vortex dynamics induced by the pulses.

    Authors: We agree that the abstract is concise by design and does not contain the full experimental details. The 75% efficiency value is obtained from statistical analysis across multiple devices, with error bars and raw I_c^+ / I_c^- data shown explicitly in Figure 3 and associated supplementary figures; the vortex-twin boundary attribution is supported by direct correlation between imaged domain configurations and measured SDE polarity, plus controls excluding other pinning sources (detailed in the Results and Methods sections). The >10^7 K/s quenching rate is derived from pulse-duration and thermal-diffusion estimates presented in the supplementary information. To improve accessibility, we will revise the abstract to include a short clause referencing the key supporting data and controls while remaining within length limits. Full evaluation is possible from the main text, but the revision will make the abstract more self-contained. revision: partial

  2. Referee: [Results section (pulse-quenching experiments)] Results section (pulse-quenching experiments): The assertion that the pulses modify only the domain pattern to control SDE polarity/strength requires explicit evidence that they do not introduce uncontrolled changes to the superconducting state (e.g., heating above Tc, defect creation, or altered vortex pinning). Without time-resolved thermometry, post-pulse characterization, or comparison to non-quenching controls, the attribution to clean nematic reconfiguration remains insecure.

    Authors: We acknowledge the value of explicit controls. The manuscript already includes post-pulse characterization showing that T_c and normal-state resistance are unchanged after pulsing (Figure 4 and supplementary transport data), confirming no permanent defect creation or irreversible heating above T_c. The SDE changes are reversible upon subsequent pulses and match the expected outcomes of domain reconfiguration, with additional comparison to slower thermal-cycling controls. Time-resolved thermometry was not feasible within the experimental cryostat geometry, but we provide finite-element thermal modeling of the maximum temperature excursion during the microsecond pulse, demonstrating it remains below T_c. We will add a dedicated paragraph in the Results section explicitly discussing these controls, potential artifacts (including local Joule heating and vortex dynamics), and the non-quenching pulse comparisons to make the evidence more direct and transparent. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity in experimental demonstration

full rationale

This paper is an experimental study reporting observations of a programmable superconducting diode effect in FeSe, achieved by using microsecond current pulses to modify nematic domain patterns and thereby control SDE polarity and efficiency (up to ~75%). The abstract and provided text contain no equations, derivations, fitted parameters presented as predictions, or self-citation chains that reduce the central claims to inputs by construction. Claims rest directly on reported measurements of vortex-twin boundary interactions and pulse-induced domain changes, with no self-definitional loops or ansatzes smuggled via prior work. This matches the default expectation for non-circular experimental work; concerns about heating artifacts address experimental validity rather than derivation circularity.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 1 axioms · 0 invented entities

Experimental paper; central claim rests on transport measurements of SDE in FeSe rather than derivations. No free parameters, ad-hoc axioms, or new entities are introduced in the abstract.

axioms (1)
  • domain assumption Standard properties of type-II superconductivity and vortex dynamics in FeSe
    Assumes known behavior of vortices and nematic order in this material without new justification.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 5501 in / 1230 out tokens · 54237 ms · 2026-05-07T13:20:27.544131+00:00 · methodology

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