Anomalous interference in planar WTe₂ Josephson junctions

Josephson junctions fabricated on materials with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC) have driven substantial research efforts due to the possibility of realizing topological superconductivity (TSC) in such devices. Layered materials with strong SOC, especially those which can be isolated via mechanical exfoliation, are particularly attractive due to their natural compatibility with large in-plane magnetic fields. This talk discusses the evolution of the critical current of WTe₂ Josephson junctions as a function of in-plane magnetic field. Thin (<100 nm) samples of WTe₂ are of interest for applications to TSC as they provide strong SOC with the required type of Fermi-surface spin texture. Under certain conditions, the interference patterns observed in these devices diverge from the standard Fraunhofer-like pattern that follows from the simplest set of assumptions, suggesting the presence of important orbital effects.