Superconductivity In Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Research Articles

Experimental investigation on the crystal structure and superconductivity of germanium-intercalated 2H-NbSe2 system

We report the structural and superconducting properties of Ge-intercalated 2H-NbSe2 polycrystals. GexNbSe2 samples with nominal 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1 crystallize in the space group P63/mmc with Ge disorderedly occupying the interlayer Se6 octahedral interstices. Superconducting critical temperature Tc monotonically decreases from 7.2 K in NbSe2 to 4.9 K in Ge0.1NbSe2. Studies on resistivity, magnetization and specific heat derive the superconducting- and normal-state parameters, indicating that the suppression of the two-gap superconductivity is mostly caused by the lowered electron-phonon coupling parameter λe-p and density of states at the Fermi level N(EF). Surprisingly, the upper critical field Hc2 and irreversible field Hirr of the low Ge-level samples are enhanced compared with those of the undoped one, which may ascribe to the electron scattering and vortex pinning by nonmagnetic Ge. This study suggests the feasibility for improving high-field performance by slight impurity doping and advances the understanding of superconductivity in transition-metal dichalcogenides.

The coexistence and competition of charge-density wave and superconductivity in the electron-doped H- MX2 (M = Mo, W and X=S, Se)

In the group VI transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), an insulator family with two-dimensional structure, MoS2 has recently demonstrated to be involved in charge-density wave (CDW) and superconductivity (SC). Nevertheless, there is a lack of a cohesive theoretical framework and fragmentation in the existing theoretical models of the relationship between CDW and SC for this system. Base on first-principles calculations, the effects of electron doping on the electronic properties, electron-phonon interaction and SC are investigated comprehensively for monolayer H- MX2 (M = Mo, W and X = S, Se) here. We confirmed that two CDW phases, 23×23 and 2 × 2, are originated from Fermi surface nesting (FSN) and electron-phonon coupling (EPC), respectively. A complicated phase diagram of doping concentration dependencies of CDW and SC critical temperatures (TC) is created, by SC coexisting with 23×23 CDW phase while competing with 2 × 2 CDW phase. The physical mechanisms of such coexistence and competition are also explained here. Our results extend the theoretical investigation by providing a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of CDW and SC in the group VI TMDs, and open up an alternative path for the exploration and regulation of collective phases of two-dimensional materials.

Enhanced Superconductivity and Critical Current Density Due to the Interaction of InSe2 Bonded Layer in (InSe2)0.12NbSe2.

Superconductivity was discovered in (InSe2)xNbSe2. The materials are crystallized in a unique layered structure where bonded InSe2 layers are intercalated into the van der Waals gaps of 2H-phase NbSe2. The (InSe2)0.12NbSe2 superconductor exhibits a superconducting transition at 11.6 K and critical current density of 8.2 × 105 A/cm2. Both values are the highest among all transition metal dichalcogenide superconductors at ambient pressure. The present finding provides an ideal material platform for further investigation of superconducting-related phenomena in transition metal dichalcogenides.

Topotactic fabrication of transition metal dichalcogenide superconducting nanocircuits

Superconducting nanocircuits, which are usually fabricated from superconductor films, are the core of superconducting electronic devices. While emerging transition-metal dichalcogenide superconductors (TMDSCs) with exotic properties show promise for exploiting new superconducting mechanisms and applications, their environmental instability leads to a substantial challenge for the nondestructive preparation of TMDSC nanocircuits. Here, we report a universal strategy to fabricate TMDSC nanopatterns via a topotactic conversion method using prepatterned metals as precursors. Typically, robust NbSe2 meandering nanowires can be controllably manufactured on a wafer scale, by which a superconducting nanowire circuit is principally demonstrated toward potential single photon detection. Moreover, versatile superconducting nanocircuits, e.g., periodical circle/triangle hole arrays and spiral nanowires, can be prepared with selected TMD materials (NbS2, TiSe2, or MoTe2). This work provides a generic approach for fabricating nondestructive TMDSC nanocircuits with precise control, which paves the way for the application of TMDSCs in future electronics.

Competition between orbital effects, Pauli limiting, and Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov states in 2D transition metal dichalcogenide superconductors

We compare the upper critical field of bulk single-crystalline samples of the two intrinsic transition metal dichalcogenide superconductors, 2H-NbSe2 and 2H-NbS2, in high magnetic fields where their layer structure is aligned strictly parallel and perpendicular to the field, using magnetic torque experiments and a high-precision piezo-rotary positioner. While both superconductors show that orbital effects still have a significant impact when the layer structure is aligned parallel to the field, the upper critical field of NbS2 rises above the Pauli limiting field and forms a Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state, while orbital effects suppress superconductivity in NbSe2 just below the Pauli limit, which excludes the formation of the FFLO state. From the out-of-plane anisotropies, the coherence length perpendicular to the layers of 31 Å in NbSe2 is much larger than the interlayer distance, leading to a significant orbital effect suppressing superconductivity before the Pauli limit is reached, in contrast to the more 2D NbS2.

Spectroscopic evidence of highly correlated electrons in VSe2

We present detailed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission experiments on $\mathrm{V}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ grown under various conditions. The surface electronic structure optimally grown samples can host high-temperature spectral kink, quasiparticle peak, and the Fermi gap. Collective observation of these electronic features refers to the strong electronic correlation and is usually attributed to the characteristics of superconductors. Temperature evolution of the quasiparticle peak and the Fermi gap also follow the trend observed in high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors as progressive quenching of the quasiparticle peak at a lower temperature than the complete Fermi gap closing. As a result, the quasiparticle peak can be observed up to 100 $\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}$5 K while the Fermi gap persists up to $\ensuremath{\sim}$150 K. These realizations can guide future studies to induce high-temperature superconductivity in transition metal dichalcogenides as well as understand the physics behind high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors.

Electron–Electron Interaction and Weak Antilocalization Effect in a Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Superconductor

In disordered transition‐metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductor, both the strong spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) and the disorder show remarkable effects on superconductivity. However, the features of SOC and disorder are rarely detected directly. Herein, the quantum transport behaviors arising from the interplay of SOC and disorder in the TMD superconductor 1T‐NbSeTe are reported. Before entering the superconducting state, the single crystal at low temperature shows a resistivity upturn, which is T 1/2 dependent and insensitive to the applied magnetic fields. The magnetoresistance (MR) at low temperatures shows an H 1/2 dependence at high magnetic fields. The characteristics are in good agreement with the electron–electron interaction (EEI) in a disordered conductor. In addition, the upturn changes and MR at low magnetic fields suggest the contribution of the weak antilocalization (WAL) effect arising from the strong SOC in the material. Moreover, the quantitative analyses of the transport features in different samples imply anomalous disorder‐enhanced superconductivity that needs to be further understood. The results reveal the disorder‐enhanced EEI and the strong SOC‐induced WAL effect in 1T‐NbSeTe, which illustrates the resistivity minimum in the widely studied doped superconductors. The work also provides insights into the disorder effect on superconductivity.

Extrinsic and Intrinsic Anomalous Metallic States in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Ising Superconductors.

The metallic ground state in two-dimensional (2D) superconductors has attracted much attention but is still under intense scrutiny. Especially, the measurements in the ultralow temperature region are challenging for 2D superconductors due to the sensitivity to external perturbations. In this work, the resistance saturation induced by external noise, named as the "extrinsic anomalous metallic state", is observed in 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductor 4Ha-TaSe2 nanodevices. However, with further decreasing temperature, credible evidence of the intrinsic anomalous metallic state is obtained by adequately filtering external radiation. Our work indicates that, at ultralow temperatures, the anomalous metallic state can be experimentally revealed as the quantum ground state in 2D crystalline TMD superconductors. Besides, Ising superconductivity revealed by ultrahigh in-plane critical field (Bc2∥) going beyond the Pauli paramagnetic limit (Bp) is detected in 4Ha-TaSe2, from the one-unit-cell device to the bulk situation, which might be due to the weak coupling between the TaSe2 submonolayers.

Superconducting contact and quantum interference between two-dimensional van der Waals and three-dimensional conventional superconductors

Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenide superconductors have unique and desirable properties for integration with conventional superconducting circuits. However, fully superconducting contact must be made between the 2D material and three-dimensional (3D) superconductors in order to employ the standard microwave drive and readout of qubits in such circuits. Here, we present a method for creating zero-resistance contacts between 2D NbSe$_2$ and 3D aluminum that behave as Josephson junctions (JJs) with large effective areas compared to 3D-3D JJs. We present a model for the supercurrent flow in a 2D-3D superconducting structure by numerical solution of the Ginzburg-Landau equations and find good agreement with experiment. These results demonstrate a crucial step towards a new generation of hybrid superconducting quantum circuits.

Suppression of the superconducting transition temperature in Se-doping 2 M WS2

2 M WS2 is a newly discovered metastable transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDs) material with the highest instinct superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of 8.8 K among all TMDs superconductors. Here we report the structural regulation of 2 M WS2 by Se-doping and careful investigation on the doping effect on superconducting property. The results show that cell volume expands from 217.66 Å3 to 231.74 Å3 as the ratio of Se/(S + Se) increasing from 0 to 1. At the same time, Tc decreases from 8.75 K to 2.92 K as the ratio increases from 0 to 0.4 along with the carrier concentration dropping from 1.42 × 1021 cm−3 to 8.06 × 1020 cm−3. The entire phase diagram over a large carrier density range is drawn. These results provide insight into the relationship between the structure and superconducting state in 2 M WS2 and can further guide to modify electronic states of other TMDs materials.

Engineering nodal topological phases in Ising superconductors by magnetic superstructures

Recently it was discovered that superconductivity in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) is strongly affected by an out-of-plane spin–orbit coupling. In addition, new techniques of fabricating 2d ferromagnets on van der Waals materials are rapidly emerging. Combining these breakthroughs, we propose a realization of nodal topological superconductivity in TMDs by fabricating nanostructured ferromagnets with an in-plane magnetization on the top surface. The proposed procedure does not require application of external magnetic fields and applies to monolayer and multilayer (bulk) systems. The signatures of the topological phase include Majorana flat bandsthat can be directly observed by scanning tunneling microscopy techniques. We concentrate on NbSe2 and argue that the proposed structures demonstrating the nodal topological phase can be realized within existing technology.

Tuning Ising superconductivity with layer and spin\u2013orbit coupling in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides

Systems simultaneously exhibiting superconductivity and spin–orbit coupling are predicted to provide a route toward topological superconductivity and unconventional electron pairing, driving significant contemporary interest in these materials. Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) superconductors in particular lack inversion symmetry, yielding an antisymmetric form of spin–orbit coupling that admits both spin-singlet and spin-triplet components of the superconducting wavefunction. Here, we present an experimental and theoretical study of two intrinsic TMD superconductors with large spin–orbit coupling in the atomic layer limit, metallic 2H-TaS2 and 2H-NbSe2. We investigate the superconducting properties as the material is reduced to monolayer thickness and show that high-field measurements point to the largest upper critical field thus reported for an intrinsic TMD superconductor. In few-layer samples, we find the enhancement of the upper critical field is sustained by the dominance of spin–orbit coupling over weak interlayer coupling, providing additional candidate systems for supporting unconventional superconducting states in two dimensions.

Nature of charge density waves and superconductivity in1T−TaSe2−xTex

Transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) $MX_2$ ($M$ = Ti, Nb, Ta; $X$ = S, Se, Te) exhibit a rich set of charge density wave (CDW) orders, which usually coexist and/or compete with superconductivity. The mechanisms of CDWs and superconductivity in TMDs are still under debate. Here we perform an investigation on a typical TMD system, 1\emph{T}-TaSe$_{2-x}$Te$_x$ ($0 \leq x \leq 2$). Doping-induced disordered distribution of Se/Te suppresses CDWs in 1\emph{T}-TaSe$_2$. A domelike superconducting phase with the maximum $T_\textrm{c}^{\textrm{onset}}$ of 2.5 K was observed near CDWs. The superconducting volume is very small inside the CDW phase and becomes very large instantly when the CDW phase is fully suppressed. The observations can be understood based on the strong \emph{\textbf{q}}-dependent electron-phonon coupling-induced periodic-lattice-distortion (PLD) mechanism of CDWs. The volume variation of superconductivity implies the emergence of domain walls in the suppressing process of CDWs. Our concluded scenario makes a fundamental understanding about CDWs and related superconductivity in TMDs.

Thermodynamic properties of the layered superconductor 2H-NbSe2

The specific heat in the normal and superconducting states of single crystals of the transition metal dichalcogenide superconductor 2H-NbSe 2 was measured from 1.7 to 9 K by use of a thermal relaxation method. The thermodynamic critical field and the specific heat behavior are different from those predicted by the BCS theory. The anisotropy and strong coupling effects in the thermodynamic properties are made evident through comparison with the Clem-Sheahen-Gubser relations, which take account of these effects near T c and 0 K. A simple semiempirical model is proposed to explain the temperature dependences of the thermodynamic critical field and the superconducting electronic specific heat. Under the assumption of a spheroidal Fermi surface based on the tight-binding approximation, the model takes into account effects of the anisotropy and the strong coupling interaction in the expression for the energy gapΔ k (t)=Δ 0 (t)(1+e 2 cos 2 ϑ). The strong coupling parameter 2Δ 0 (0)/K B T c and the energy gap anisotropy parameter e 2 are the only two adjustable parameters. The thermodynamic behavior deduced from the model gives good agreement with experimental results for values of 2Δ 0 (0)/k B T c⋍5.0 and e 2 ≃-−0.6.

Superconductivity in Layered Structure Organometallic Crystals

Superconductivity persists in several, layered, transition metal dichalcogenide superconductors when the layers are spread apart to accommodate organic molecules between them. These materials are of interest not only because of their two-dimensional character but also because they may provide a means for examining hypotheses regarding organic molecules and superconductivity.