Combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput characterization of copper-oxide superconductors

Fast synthesis and screening of materials are vital to the advance of materials science and are an essential component of the Materials Genome Initiative. Here we use copper-oxide superconductors as an example to demonstrate the power of integrating combinatorial molecular beam epitaxy synthesis with high-throughput electric transport measurements. Leveraging this method, we have generated a phase diagram with more than 800 compositions in order to unravel the doping dependence of interface superconductivity. In another application of the same method, we have studied the superconductorto-insulator quantum phase transition with unprecedented accuracy in tuning the chemical doping level.

Evolution of Superconducting-Transition Temperature with Superfluid Density and Conductivity in Pressurized Cuprate Superconductors

What factors fundamentally determine the value of superconducting transition temperature Tc in high temperature superconductors has been the subject of intense debate.Following the establishment of an empirical law known as Homes'law,there is a growing consensus in the community that the Tc value of the cuprate superconductors is closely linked to the superfluid density(ρ_(s))of its ground state and the conductivity(σ)of its normal state.However,all the data supporting this empirical law(ρ_(s)=AσT_(c))have been obtained from the ambientpressure superconductors.In this study,we present the first high-pressure results about the connection of the quantities of ρ_(s) and σ with T_(c),through the studies on the Bi_(1.74)Pb_(0.38)Sr_(1.88)CuO_(6+δ)and Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ),in which the value of their high-pressure resistivity(ρ=1/σ)is achieved by adopting our newly established method,while the quantity ofρs is extracted using Homes'law.We highlight that the Tc values are strongly linked to the joint response factors of magnetic field and electric field,i.e.,ρ_(s) and σ,respectively,implying that the physics determining T_(c) is governed by the intrinsic electromagnetic fields of the system.

Strong Anisotropic Order Parameters at All-Nitride Ferromagnet/Superconductor Interfaces

Proximity effects between superconductors and ferromagnets(SC/FM)hold paramount importance in comprehending the spin competition transpiring at their interfaces.This competition arises from the interplay between Cooper pairs and ferromagnetic exchange interactions.The proximity effects between transition metal nitrides(TMNs)are scarcely investigated due to the formidable challenges of fabricating high-quality SC/FM interfaces.We fabricated heterostructures comprising SC titanium nitride(TiN)and FM iron nitride(Fe_(3)N)with precise chemical compositions and atomically well-defined interfaces.The magnetoresistance of Fe_(3)N/TiN heterostructures shows a distinct magnetic anisotropy and strongly depends on the external perturbations.Moreover,the superconducting transition temperatureT_(C) and critical field of TiN experience notable suppression when proximity to Fe_(3)N.We observe the intriguing competition of interfacial spin orientations near𝑇T_(C)(∼1.25 K).These findings not only add a new materials system for investigating the interplay between superconductor and ferromagnets,but also potentially provide a building block for future research endeavors and applications in the realms of superconducting spintronic devices.

Controversy Clouds Real Progress in Superconductor Research

In the 8 March 2023 issue of the journal Nature,a paper attracted global attention with the report of a new superconductor material exhibiting ground-breaking properties[1,2].A group led by Ranga P.Dias,assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester(Rochester,NY,USA),described a hydride material that superconducted at around room temperature,albeit at pressures 10000 times greater than atmospheric pressure[3].

Design of high-temperature superconductors at moderate pressures by alloying AlH3 or GaH3

Since the discovery of hydride superconductors,a significant challenge has been to reduce the pressure required for their stabilization.In this context,we propose that alloying could be an effective strategy to achieve this.We focus on a series of alloyed hydrides with the AMH_(6)composition,which can be made via alloying A15 AH_(3)(A=Al or Ga)with M(M=a group IIIB or IVB metal),and study their behavior under pressure.Seven of them are predicted to maintain the A15-type structure,similar to AH_(3)under pressure,providing a platform for studying the effects of alloying on the stability and superconductivity of AH_(3).Among these,the A15-type phases of AlZrH_(6)and AlHfH_(6)are found to be thermodynamically stable in the pressure ranges of 40–150 and 30–181 GPa,respectively.Furthermore,they remain dynamically stable at even lower pressures,as low as 13 GPa for AlZrH_(6)and 6 GPa for AlHfH_(6).These pressures are significantly lower than that required for stabilizing A15 AlH3.Additionally,the introduction of Zr or Hf increases the electronic density of states at the Fermi level compared with AlH3.This enhancement leads to higher critical temperatures(Tc)of 75 and 76 K for AlZrH_(6)and AlHfH_(6)at 20 and 10 GPa,respectively.In the case of GaMH_(6)alloys,where M represents Sc,Ti,Zr,or Hf,these metals reinforce the stability of the A15-type structure and reduce the lowest thermodynamically stable pressure for GaH_(3) from 160 GPa to 116,95,80,and 85 GPa,respectively.Particularly noteworthy are the A15-type GaMH_(6)alloys,which remain dynamically stable at low pressures of 97,28,5,and 6 GPa,simultaneously exhibiting high Tc of 88,39,70,and 49 K at 100,35,10,and 10 GPa,respectively.Overall,these findings enrich the family of A15-type superconductors and provide insights for the future exploration of high-temperature hydride superconductors that can be stabilized at lower pressures.

Two-fold symmetry of the in-plane resistance in kagome superconductor Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5) with enhanced superconductivity

The kagome superconductor CsV_(3)Sb_(5) has attracted widespread attention due to its rich correlated electron states including superconductivity, charge density wave(CDW), nematicity, and pair density wave. Notably, the modulation of the intertwined electronic orders by the chemical doping is significant to illuminate the cooperation/competition between multiple phases in kagome superconductors. In this study, we have synthesized a series of tantalum-substituted Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5) by a modified self-flux method. Electrical transport measurements reveal that CDW is suppressed gradually and becomes undetectable as the doping content of x is over 0.07. Concurrently, the superconductivity is enhanced monotonically from T_(c) ~ 2.8 K at x = 0 to 5.2 K at x = 0.12. Intriguingly, in the absence of CDW, Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5)(x = 0.12) crystals exhibit a pronounced two-fold symmetry of the in-plane angular-dependent magnetoresistance(AMR) in the superconducting state, indicating the anisotropic superconducting properties in the Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5). Our findings demonstrate that Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5) with the non-trivial band topology is an excellent platform to explore the superconductivity mechanism and intertwined electronic orders in quantum materials.

Topological superconductors with spin-triplet pairings and Majorana Fermi arcs

We construct a three-dimensional topological superconductor Bogoliubov–de Gennes(BdG)Hamiltonian with the normal state being a three-dimensional topological insulator.By introducing inter-orbital spin-triplet pairings term△3,there are topological Majorana nodes in the bulk and they are connected by Majorana Fermi arcs on the surface,similar to the case of Weyl semimetal.Furthermore,by adding an inversion-breaking term to the normal state,momentum-independent pairing terms with different parities can coexist in the Bd G Hamiltonian,which creates more Majorana modes similar to Andreev bound states and a richer phase diagram.

Effect of the mixing of s-wave and chiral p-wave pairings on electrical shot noise properties of normal metal/superconductor tunnel junctions

We study theoretically the electrical shot noise properties of tunnel junctions between a normal metal and a superconductor with the mixture of singlet s-wave and chiral triplet p-wave pairing due to broken inversion symmetry. We investigate how the shot noise properties vary as the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential is changed. It is demonstrated that some characteristics of the electrical shot noise properties of such tunnel junctions may depend sensitively on the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential, and some significant changes may occur in the electrical shot noise properties when the relative amplitude between the two parity components is varied from the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime to the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime. In the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime, the ratio of noise power to electric current is close to 2e both in the in-gap and in the out-gap region. In the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime, the value of this ratio is close to 4e in the inner gap region but may reduce to about 2e in the outer gap region as the relative amplitude of the chiral triplet pairing component is increased. The variations of the differential shot noise with the bias voltage also exhibit some significantly different features in different regimes. Such different features can serve as useful diagnostic tools for the determination of the relative magnitude of the two parity components in the pairing potential.

High Harmonic Spectroscopy Retrieves Electronic Structure of High-pressure Superconductors

High pressure has revealed surprising physics and creates novel states in condensed matter.Exciting examples include near-roomtemperature superconductivity(T_(c)>200 K)in highlypressured hydrides such as H_(3)S and LaH_(10).

Electronic Structure Investigation of 12442 Iron-Based Superconductors Based on Block-Layer Model

Superconducting transition temperature(Tc),as a crucial parameter,exploring its relationship with various macroscopic and microscopic factors helps to understand the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity from multiple perspectives,aiding in a multidimensional comprehension of high-temperature superconductivity mechanisms.Drawing inspiration from the block-layer structure models of cuprate superconductors,we computationally investigated the interlayer interaction energies in the 12442-type iron-based superconducting materials AkCa_(2)Fe_(4)As_(4)F_(2)(Ak=K,Rb,Cs)systems based on the block-layer model and explored their relationship with Tc.We observed that an increase in interlayer combinative energy leads to a decrease in Tc,while conversely,a decrease in interlayer combination energy results in an increase in Tc.Further,we found that the contribution of the Fe 3d band structure,especially the 3dz2 orbital,to charge transfer is significant.

Customizing topological phases in the twisted bilayer superconductors with even-parity pairings

We investigate the topological properties of twisted bilayer superconductors with different even-parity pairings in each layer.In the presence of spin-orbit coupling,the Hamiltonian is mapped into an effective odd-parity superconductor.Based on this,we deduce the topological properties by examining the relative configuration between Fermi surface and Dirac pairing node.We show that mixed Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling and anisotropic hopping terms,which break the C_(4)symmetry of the Fermi surface,can induce first-order topological superconductors with non-zero bulk Chern number.This provides a versatile way to control the topological phases of bilayer superconductors by adjusting the twisted angle and chemical potential.We demonstrate our results using a typical twisted angle of 53.13°,at which the translation symmetry is restored and the Chern number and edge state are calculated using the Moir′e momentum.

Gate-Tunable Negative Differential Conductance in Hybrid Semiconductor–Superconductor Devices

Negative differential conductance(NDC)serves as a crucial characteristic that reveals various underlying physics and transport process in hybrid superconducting devices.We report the observation of gate-tunable NDC outside the superconducting energy gap on two types of hybrid semiconductor–superconductor devices,i.e.,normal metal–superconducting nanowire–normal metal and normal metal–superconducting nanowire–superconductor devices.Specifically,we study the dependence of the NDCs on back-gate voltage and magnetic field.When the back-gate voltage decreases,these NDCs weaken and evolve into positive differential conductance dips;and meanwhile they move away from the superconducting gap towards high bias voltage,and disappear eventually.In addition,with the increase of magnetic field,the NDCs/dips follow the evolution of the superconducting gap,and disappear when the gap closes.We interpret these observations and reach a good agreement by combining the Blonder–Tinkham–Klapwijk(BTK)model and the critical supercurrent effect in the nanowire,which we call the BTK-supercurrent model.Our results provide an in-depth understanding of the tunneling transport in hybrid semiconductor–superconductor devices.

Abnormal magnetoresistance effect in the Nb/Si superconductor–semiconductor heterojunction

Ultrathin superconducting Nb films of about 8 nm thick have been deposited on heavily doped Si substrates through DC magnetron sputtering and then the high-quality Nb/Si superconductor–semiconductor heterojunctions have been fabricated by electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching.An abnormal magnetoresistance effect,which manifests itself as a zero field resistance peak under a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the interface,has been distinctly observed when the Nb film is in the superconductiing state.By considering the heterojunction interface being equivalent to the structure of superconductor–barrier layer–superconductor configuration,we could generally understand this unusual effect based on the Andreev reflection mechanism.Our results can be of help for the future development on compatibility and scalability of the silicon-based nanoscale superconducting devices for integrated circuits and superconducting quantum electronics.

Anisotropy of Electronic Spin Texture in the High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductor Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ)

Seeking new order parameters and the related broken symmetry and studying their relationship with phase transition have been important topics in condensed matter physics.Here,by using spin-and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy,we confirm the helical spin texture caused by spin-layer locking in the nodal region in the cuprate superconductor Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ)and discover the anisotropy of spin polarizations at nodes alongΓ–X andΓ–Y directions.The breaking of C_(4)rotational symmetry in electronic spin texture may give deeper insights into understanding the ground state of cuprate superconductors.

Majorana Corner Modes and Flat-Band Majorana Edge Modes in Superconductor/Topological-Insulator/Superconductor Junctions

Recently,superconductors with higher-order topology have stimulated extensive attention and research interest.Higher-order topological superconductors exhibit unconventional bulk-boundary correspondence,thus allow exotic lower-dimensional boundary modes,such as Majorana corner and hinge modes.However,higher-order topological superconductivity has yet to be found in naturally occurring materials.We investigate higher-order topology in a two-dimensional Josephson junction comprised of two s-wave superconductors separated by a topological insulator thin film.We find that zero-energy Majorana corner modes,a boundary fingerprint of higherorder topological superconductivity,can be achieved by applying magnetic field.When an in-plane Zeeman field is applied to the system,two corner modes appear in the superconducting junction.Furthermore,we also discover a two-dimensional nodal superconducting phase which supports flat-band Majorana edge modes connecting the bulk nodes.Importantly,we demonstrate that zero-energy Majorana corner modes are stable when increasing the thickness of topological insulator thin film.

Growth and Characterization of a New Superconductor GaBa2Ca3Cu4O11+δ

We successfully grow a new superconductor GaBa2Ca3Cu4O11+δ(Ga-1234) with a transition temperature of 113 K, using the Walker-type high-pressure synthesis apparatus. X-ray diffraction measurements on the powderized samples show a mixture of the Ga-1234 phase and the Ca0.85CuO2phase, and the former is dominant. Under the scanning electron microscope, plate-like crystals of the Ga-based 1234 phase with shiny surfaces can be seen.The obtained local chemical compositions revealed by energy dispersion x-ray spectroscopy are very close to the stoichiometric values. On some sub-millimeter crystal-like samples of the 1234 phase, we obtain a full Meissner shielding volume. From the temperature-dependent magnetizations, we determine the irreversibility fields and find that the system exhibits a highly anisotropic behavior.

Hole density dependent magnetic structure and anisotropy in Fe-pnictide superconductor

The competition between different magnetic structures in hole-doped Fe-pnicitides is explored based on an extended five-orbital Hubbard model including long-range Coulomb interactions.Our results show that the stabilized magnetic structure evolves with increasing hole doping level.Namely,the stripe antiferromagnetic phase dominates at zero doping,while magnetic structures with more antiferromagnetic linking numbers such as the staggered tetramer,staggered trimer,and staggered dimer phases become energetically favorable as the hole density increases.At a certain doping level,energy degeneracy of different magnetic structures appears,indicating strong magnetic frustration and magnetic fluctuations in the system.We suggest that the magnetic competition induced by the hole doping may explain the fast decrease of the Neel temperature TNand the moderately suppressed magnetic moment in the hole doped Fe-pnicitides.Moreover,our results show a sign reversal of the kinetic energy anisotropy as the magnetic ground state evolves,which may be the mechanism behind the puzzling sign reversal of the in-plane resistivity anisotropy in hole-doped Fe-pnicitides.

Ultralow-temperature heat transport study of noncentrosymmetric superconductor CaPtAs

The noncentrosymmetric superconductor CaPtAs with time-reversal symmetry breaking in its superconducting state was previously proposed to host nodal superconductivity.Here,by employing ultralow-temperature thermal conductivity measurement on CaPtAs single crystal,we study its superconducting gap structure.A negligible residual linear term of thermal conductivity(κ_(0)/T)in zero magnetic field and the field dependence ofκ_(0)/T indicate that CaPtAs has multiple superconducting gaps with a dominant s-wave component.This is consistent with recent nuclear quadrupole resonance measurements on CaPtAs.Our work puts a strong constraint on the theories to describe the superconducting pairing symmetry of CaPtAs.

Photoinduced valley-dependent equal-spin Andreev reflection in Ising superconductor junction

The Ising spin–orbit coupling could give rise to the spin-triplet Cooper pairs and equal-spin Andreev reflection(AR)in Ising superconductors.Here we theoretically study the valley-dependent equal-spin AR in a ferromagnet/Ising superconductor junction with a circularly polarized light applied to the ferromagnet.Because of the spin-triplet Cooper pairs and the optical irradiation,eight kinds of AR processes appear in the junction,including equal-spin AR and normal AR,the strengths and properties of which strongly depend on the valley degree of freedom.The AR probabilities for the incident electron from the two valleys exhibit certain symmetry with respect to the magnetization angle and the effective energy of light.The equal-spin AR and normal AR present different features and resonant behaviors near the superconducting gap edges.Due to equal-spin-triplet Cooper pairs,not only charge supercurrent but also spin supercurrent can transport in the Ising superconductors.The differential spin conductance for electron injecting from the two valleys can be controlled by the circularly polarized light.

Effect of thickness on magnetic properties of single domain GdBCO bulk superconductors

To study the influence of thickness on the magnetic properties of ReBCO(Re = Y, Gd, Sm, Nd, etc.) bulk superconductors, a single domain gadolinium barium copper oxide(GdBCO) bulk superconductor fabricated by the Re + 011 top seeded infiltration growth(Re + 011 TSIG) method was continuously sliced along the bottom to obtain samples of different thickness. The levitation force and attractive force of these samples were tested at 77 K in the zero-field-cooled(ZFC)state. It is found that as the sample thickness decreases, the levitation force decreases gradually whereas the attractive force increases. This is related to the varied ability to resist the penetration of magnetic field occasioned by varying sample thickness, which are deeply revealed by combining with the characteristics of the non-ideal type-II superconductor. Further,the levitation force exhibits a trend of slow initial change followed by rapid change, which may be attributed to the growth of the sample. Measurement of the trapped field shows that a similar distribution of trapped field at the top and bottom surfaces can be achieved by removing some materials from the bottom of the bulk. These results provide a reference for meeting the actual requirements of ReBCO bulks of different thicknesses and greatly contribute to practical designs and applications.