arXiv subjects

M. Kuzmiak

Publications and source records attributed to M. Kuzmiak.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Disorder- and magnetic field-tuned fermionic superconductor-insulator transition in MoN thin films. Transport and STM studies

Superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) driven by disorder and transverse magnetic field has been investigated in ultrathin MoN films by means of transport measurements and scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. Upon decreasing thickness, the homogeneously disordered films show increasing sheet resistance Rs, shift of the superconducting transition Tc to lower temperatures with the 3 nm MoN being the last superconducting film and thinner films already insulating. Fermionic scenario of SIT is evidenced by applicability of the Finkelsteins model, by the fact that Tc and the superconducting gap are coupled with a constant ratio, and by the spatial homogeneity of the superconducting and electronic characteristics. The logarithmic anomaly found in the tunneling spectra of the non-superconducting films is further enhanced in increased magnetic field due to the Zeeman spin effects driving the system deeper into the insulating state and pointing also to fermionic SIT.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Suppressed superconductivity in ultrathin Mo2N films due to pair-breaking at the interface

A strong disorder characterized by a small product of the Fermi vector kF and the electron mean free l drives superconductors towards insulating state. Such disorder can be introduced by making the films very thin. Here, we present 3-nm Mo2N film with k_F*l ~ 2 with a resistive superconducting transition temperature Tc = 2 K heavily suppressed in comparison with the bulk Tc. Superconducting density of states (DOS) with smeared gap-like peaks and in-gap states, so called Dynes DOS, is observed by the low temperature tunneling spectroscopy despite a sharp resistive transition. By scanning tunneling microscope the spectral maps are obtained and related to the surface topography. The maps show a spatial variation of the superconducting energy gap on the order of 20 % which is not accidental but well correlates with the surface corrugation: protrusions reveal larger gap, smaller spectral smearing and smaller in-gap states. In agreement with our previous measurements on ultrathin MoC films we suggest that the film-substrate interface introducing the local pair-breaking is responsible for the observed effects and generally for the suppression of the superconductivity in these ultrathin films.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Extreme in-plane upper critical magnetic fields of heavily doped quasi-two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides

Extreme in-plane upper critical magnetic fields $B_{c2//ab}$ strongly violating the Pauli paramagnetic limit have been observed in the misfit layer $(LaSe)_{1.14}(NbSe_2)$ and $(LaSe)_{1.14}(NbSe_2)_2$ single crystals with $T_c$ = 1.23 K and 5.7 K, respectively. The crystals show a two-dimensional to three-dimensional transition at temperatures slightly below $T_c$ with an upturn in the temperature dependence of $B_{c2//ab}$, a temperature dependent huge superconducting anisotropy and a cusplike behavior of the angular dependence of $B_{c2}$. Both misfits are characterized by a strong charge transfer from LaSe to $NbSe_2$. As shown in our previous work, $(LaSe)_{1.14}(NbSe_2)$ is electronically equivalent to the highly doped $NbSe_2$ monolayers. Then, the strong upper critical field can be attributed to the Ising coupling recently discovered in atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides with strong spin-orbit coupling and a lack of inversion symmetry. A very similar behavior is found in $(LaSe)_{1.14}(NbSe_2)_2$, where the charge transfer is nominally twice as big, which could eventually lead to complete filling of the $NbSe_2$ conduction band and opening superconductivity in LaSe. Whatever the particular superconducting mechanism would be, a common denominator in both misfits is that they behave as a stack of almost decoupled superconducting atomic layers, proving that Ising superconductivity can also exist in bulk materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Superconductivity in hole-doped germanium point contacts

We have observed superconductivity in heavy p-doped Ge by measuring of differential resistance dV/dI(V) of Ge - PtIr point contacts. The superconducting (SC) features disappear above 6 K or above 1 T, what can be taken as the critical temperature and the critical magnetic field, respectively. The observed dV/dI(V) spectrum with Andreev reflection like features was fitted within one-gap Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model. The extracted SC gap demonstrates Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer-like behavior with 2 Delta/kBTc = 10+/-1 ratio, which is much higher that expected for conventional superconductors. Magnetic field suppresses Andreev reflection features, but the SC gap moderately decreases in magnetic field similarly as it was observed previously for the type-II superconductors, including nickel borocarbide and iron-based superconductors. Curiously, we have not yet observed superconductivity in n-doped Ge with a similar dopant concentration.

cond-mat.supr-con↗