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Register a new userSuperconductivity in the topological semimetal YPtBi
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The noncentrosymmetric Half Heusler compound YPtBi exhibits superconductivity below a critical temperature T_c = 0.77 K with a zero-temperature upper critical field H_c2(0) = 1.5 T. Magnetoresistance and Hall measurements support theoretical predictions that this material is a topologically nontrivial semimetal having a surprisingly low positive charge carrier density of 2 x 10^18 cm^-3. Unconventional linear magnetoresistance and beating in Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations point to spin-orbit split Fermi surfaces. The sensitivity of magnetoresistance to surface roughness suggests a possible contribution from surface states. The combination of noncentrosymmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling in YPtBi presents a promising platform for the investigation of topological superconductivity.
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Chemical doping of topological materials may provide a possible route for realizing topological superconductivity. However, all such cases known so far are based on chalcogenides. Here we report the discovery of superconductivity induced by Re doping in the topological semimetal Mo$_{5}$Si$_{3}$ with a tetragonal structure. Partial substitution of Re for Mo in Mo$_{5-x}$Re$_{x}$Si$_{3}$ results in an anisotropic shrinkage of the unit cell up to the solubility limit of approximately $x$ = 2. Over a wide doping range (0.5 $leq$ $x$ $leq$ 2), these silicides are found to be weakly coupled superconductors with a fully isotropic gap. $T_{rm c}$ increases monotonically with $x$ from 1.67 K to 5.78 K, the latter of which is the highest among superconductors of the same structural type. This trend in $T_{rm c}$ correlates well with the variation of the number of valence electrons, and is mainly ascribed to the enhancement of electron-phonon coupling. In addition, band structure calculations reveal that superconducting Mo$_{5-x}$Re$_{x}$Si$_{3}$ exhibits nontrivial band topology characterized by $Z_{2}$ invariants (1;000) or (1;111) depending on the Re doping level. Our results suggest that transition metal silicides are a fertile ground for the exploration of candidate topological superconductors.
Recently monolayer jacutingaite (Pt2HgSe3), a naturally occurring exfoliable mineral, discovered in Brazil in 2008, has been theoretically predicted as a candidate quantum spin Hall system with a 0.5 eV band gap, while the bulk form is one of only a few known dual-topological insulators which may host different surface states protected by symmetries. In this work, we systematically investigate both structure and electronic evolution of bulk Pt2HgSe3 under high pressure up to 96 GPa. The nontrivial topology persists up to the structural phase transition observed in the high-pressure regime. Interestingly, we found that this phase transition is accompanied by the appearance of superconductivity at around 55 GPa and the critical transition temperature Tc increases with applied pressure. Our results demonstrate that Pt2HgSe3 with nontrivial topology of electronic states displays new ground states upon compression and raises potentials in application to the next-generation spintronic devices.
NaAlSi is an sp electron superconductor crystallizing in a layered structure of the anti-PbFCl type with a relatively high transition temperature Tc of ~7 K. Recent electronic state calculations revealed the presence of topological nodal lines in the semimetallic band structure, which attracted much attention owing to the superconductivity. However, experimental investigation remained limited because of the lack of single crystals. Here, we successfully prepared single crystals of NaAlSi by a Na-Ga flux method and characterized their superconducting and normal-state properties through electrical resistivity, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements. A sharp superconducting transition with a Tc of 6.8 K is clearly observed, and heat capacity data suggest an anisotropic superconducting gap. Surprisingly, despite the sp electron system, the normal state is governed by the electron correlations, which is indicated by a T2 resistivity and a Wilson ratio of 2.0. The origin of the electron correlation may be related to the orthogonal saddle-shaped Fermi surfaces derived from the Si px and py states, which intersect with the light Al s bands to form the nodal lines near the Fermi level. These results strongly suggest that the superconductivity of NaAlSi is not caused by a simple phonon mechanism but involves a certain unconventional aspect, although its relevance to the nodal lines is unclear.
Topological superconductivity with Majorana bound states, which are critical to implement nonabelian quantum computation, may be realized in three-dimensional semimetals with nontrivial topological feature, when superconducting transition occurs in the bulk. Here, we report pressure-induced superconductivity in a transition-metal dipnictide NbAs2. The emergence of superconductivity is not accompanied by any structural phase transition up to the maximum experimental pressure of 29.8 GPa, as supported by pressure-dependent synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Intriguingly, the Raman study reveals rapid phonon mode hardening and broadening above 10 GPa, in coincident with the superconducting transition. Using first principle calculations, we determine Fermi surface change induced by pressure, which steadily increases the density of states without breaking the electron-hole compensation. Noticeably, the main hole pocket of NbAs2 encloses one time-reversal-invariant momenta of the monoclinic lattice, suggesting NbAs2 as a candidate of topological superconductors.
Atomic manipulation and interface engineering techniques have provided a novel approach to custom-designing topological superconductors and the ensuing Majorana zero modes, representing a new paradigm for the realization of topological quantum computing and topology-based devices. Magnet-superconductor hybrid (MSH) systems have proven to be experimentally suitable to engineer topological superconductivity through the control of both the complex structure of its magnetic layer and the interface properties of the superconducting surface. Here, we demonstrate that two-dimensional MSH systems containing a magnetic skyrmion lattice provide an unprecedented ability to control the emergence of topological phases. By changing the skyrmion radius, which can be achieved experimentally through an external magnetic field, one can tune between different topological superconducting phases, allowing one to explore their unique properties and the transitions between them. In these MSH systems, Josephson scanning tunneling spectroscopy spatially visualizes one of the most crucial aspects underlying the emergence of topological superconductivity, the spatial structure of the induced spin-triplet correlations.
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