Effects of adsorbed molecular ordering to the superconductivity of a two-dimensional atomic layer crystal

Abstract

The effect of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) adsorption on the physical properties of the two-dimensional (2D) atomic layer superconductor (ALSC) In/Si(111)-($\sqrt{7}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{3}$) has been studied by angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, transport measurements, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Hole doping from the adsorbed molecules has been reported to increase the superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ of this ALSC, and the molecular spin tends to decrease it. Owing to its large electron affinity and its nonexistent spin state, the adsorption of PTCDA was expected to increase ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$. However, the PTCDA adsorption dopes only a small number of holes in the In layers and causes a suppression of ${T}_{\mathrm{c}}$ with a sharp increase in the normal-state sheet resistance followed by an insulating transition. Taking the disordering of the arrangement of PTCDA into account, we conclude that the increase in resistance is due to the localization effect originating from the random potential that is induced by the disordered PTCDA molecules. The present result also indicates the importance of the crystallinity of a 2D molecular film adsorbed on ALSCs.