Abstract
The search for new superconductors capable of carrying loss-free current has been a research theme in condensed matter physics for the past decade. Among superconducting compounds, titanates have not been pursued as much as Cu2+ (3d9) (cuprate) and Fe2+ (3d6) (pnictide) compounds. Particularly, Ti3+-based compounds or electron systems with a special 3d1 filling are thought to be promising candidates as high-TC superconductors, but there has been no report on such pure Ti3+-based superconducting titanates. With the advent of thin-film growth technology, stabilizing new structural phases in single-crystalline thin films is a promising strategy to realize physical properties that are absent in the bulk counterparts. Herein, we report the discovery of unexpected superconductivity in orthorhombic-structured thin films of Ti2O3, a 3d1 electron system, which is in strong contrast to the conventional semiconducting corundum-structured Ti2O3. This is the first report of superconductivity in a titanate with a pure 3d1 electron configuration. Superconductivity at 8 K was observed in the orthorhombic Ti2O3 films. Leveraging the strong structure-property correlation in transition-metal oxides, our discovery introduces a previously unrecognized route for inducing emergent superconductivity in a newly stabilized polymorph phase in epitaxial thin films.
Highlights
Exploring structure-property correlations is a frontier of material science, which enables researchers to understand and harness the emergent properties of advanced materials
Enhanced multiferroic properties have been discovered in epitaxial-stabilized tetragonal BiFeO37 and hexagonal TbMnO3 films,[8] and these structures are absent in the bulk counterparts
The diffraction patterns of Ti2O3 thin films grown at 600 °C and 900 °C on α-Al2O3 substrates are shown in Fig. 1a and Supplementary Figure S1
Summary
Exploring structure-property correlations is a frontier of material science, which enables researchers to understand and harness the emergent properties of advanced materials. Functional oxides have attracted attention due to their strong structure-property correlation.[1,2,3,4,5,6] For example, enhanced multiferroic properties have been discovered in epitaxial-stabilized tetragonal BiFeO37 and hexagonal TbMnO3 films,[8] and these structures are absent in the bulk counterparts. Most milestones in superconductivity research have been set by the discoveries of new materials such as cuprates[10,11] and Fe-based superconductors.[12,13,14,15] In addition, there are some notable transition-metal-oxide superconductors, such as tungsten bronzes with TC values up to 6 K.16,17. Most milestones in superconductivity research have been set by the discoveries of new materials such as cuprates[10,11] and Fe-based superconductors.[12,13,14,15] In addition, there are some notable transition-metal-oxide superconductors, such as tungsten bronzes with TC values up to 6 K.16,17 Within the 3d-transition-metal series, Ti3
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