Pair density wave state in a monolayer high-Tc iron-based superconductor.

Abstract

The pair density wave (PDW) is an extraordinary superconducting state in which Cooper pairs carry non-zero momentum1,2. Evidence for the existence of intrinsic PDW order in high-temperature (high-Tc) cuprate superconductors3,4 and kagome superconductors5 has emerged recently. However, the PDW order in iron-based high-Tc superconductors has not been observed experimentally. Here, using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, we report the discovery of the PDW state in monolayer iron-based high-Tc Fe(Te,Se) films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates. The PDW state with a period of λ ≈ 3.6aFe (aFe is the distance between neighbouring Fe atoms) is observed at the domain walls by the spatial electronic modulations of the local density of states, the superconducting gap and the π-phase shift boundaries of the PDW around the vortices of the intertwined charge density wave order. The discovery of the PDW state in the monolayer Fe(Te,Se) film provides a low-dimensional platform to study the interplay between the correlated electronic states and unconventional Cooper pairing in high-Tc superconductors.