Searcharxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 1804.07218

Quantum phase transitions in highly crystalline two-dimensional superconductors

Yu Saito·Tsutomu Nojima·Yoshihiro Iwasa
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Superconductor-insulator transition is one of the remarkable phenomena driven by quantum fluctuation in two-dimensional (2D) systems. Such a quantum phase transition (QPT) was investigated predominantly on highly disordered thin films with amorphous or granular structures using scaling law with constant exponents. Here, we provide a totally different view of QPT in highly crystalline 2D superconductors. According to the magneto-transport measurements in 2D superconducting ZrNCl and MoS2, we found that the quantum metallic state commonly observed at low magnetic fields is converted via the quantum Griffiths state to the weakly localized metal at high magnetic fields. The scaling behavior, characterized by the diverging dynamical critical exponent (Griffiths singularity), indicates that the quantum fluctuation manifests itself as superconducting puddles, in marked contrast with the thermal fluctuation. We suggest that an evolution from the quantum metallic to the quantum Griffiths state is generic nature in highly crystalline 2D superconductors with weak pinning potentials.

Explore related subjects

cond-mat.supr-concond-mat.mtrl-sci

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Yu Saito, Tsutomu Nojima, Yoshihiro Iwasa. 2018-04-19. Quantum phase transitions in highly crystalline two-dimensional superconductors. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03275-z

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Out-of-equilibrium relaxation dynamics of the superconducting order parameter in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

The application of a time-varying strain field drives a superconducting order parameter out of equilibrium. How the order parameter relaxes back to equilibrium depends both on the structure of the superconducting gap and on the nature of quasiparticle scattering. We report the discovery of an ultrasonic attenuation peak inside the superconducting state of the kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. This peak is the natural consequence of the order parameter relaxation time matching the ultrasonic drive frequency near $T_{\rm c}$. From the measured frequency dependence of the peak, we extract a microscopic scattering time of $\tau_N = 25$ ps. This timescale is two orders of magnitude longer than the elastic scattering time as determined by resistivity measurements, but is comparable to the inelastic scattering time determined by thermal transport. Within the conventional framework of order-parameter relaxation, this implies that elastic scattering is ineffective at relaxing the superconducting condensate, consistent with a sign-preserving $s$-wave state obeying Anderson's theorem.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Eight-unit-cell electronic modulations in cuprates originating from local molecular orbitals

The pair density wave (PDW) state with eight-unit-cell (8a0) periodicity has been widely regarded as the primary order in cuprates, yet its existence and origin remain subjects of intense debate. Using spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we observe spatial modulations of the electronic states with approximately 8a0 periodicity in both the superconducting and insulating regimes of hole-doped Ca2CuO2Cl2 cuprate. We find that the 8a0 spatial patterns are generated by the formation of molecular orbitals by doped holes, which organize into 4a0*4a0 plaquettes as the basic unit. Our results identify the 4a0 molecular orbital as the fundamental electronic building block in cuprates, while the 8a0 PDW represents a spatial subharmonic that emerges at sufficiently high doping.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Record-Breaking Elemental Superconductivity in Tetralayer Kagome Borophene

Superconductivity above the liquid-nitrogen temperature remains rare in two-dimensional elemental crystals, where strong covalent bonding often yields high phonon frequencies but insufficient electron-phonon coupling. Here, using first-principles calculations and fully anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg theory, we predict tetralayer kagome borophene (TKB) stabilized by ABAB covalent stacking, as a liquid-nitrogen-temperature elemental superconductor. With a predicted critical temperature of 102 K, TKB sets a record-high value among previously reported elemental superconductors. Unlike known high-Tc boron-based superconductors dominated by in-plane sigma-bonding states and high-frequency in-plane B-B stretching modes, TKB realizes an out-of-plane s-pz-bonding-mediated pairing mechanism, in which interlayer s-pz bonding states at the Fermi level are strongly coupled to low-frequency out-of-plane vibrations of boron atoms. These results reveal a distinct out-of-plane pairing channel in multilayer borophene and establish covalent stacking engineering as a potential route for high-Tc superconductivity in two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗