Nontrivial superconductivity in topological MoTe 2−x S x crystals

Yanan Li, Qiangqiang Gu, Chen Chen, Jun Zhang, Qin Liu, Xiyao Hu, Jun Liu, Yi Liu, Langsheng Ling, Mingliang Tian, Yong Wang, Nitin Samarth, Shiyan Li, Tong Zhang, Ji Feng, Jian Wang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

66 Scopus citations

Abstract

Topological Weyl semimetals (TWSs) with pairs of Weyl points and topologically protected Fermi arc states have broadened the classification of topological phases and provide superior platform for study of topological superconductivity. Here we report the nontrivial superconductivity and topological features of sulfur-doped T d -phase MoTe 2 with enhanced T c compared with type-II TWS MoTe 2 . It is found that T d -phase S-doped MoTe 2 (MoTe 2x S x , x ∼ 0.2) is a two-band s-wave bulk superconductor (∼0.13 meV and 0.26 meV), where the superconducting behavior can be explained by the s +− pairing model. Further, measurements of the quasi-particle interference (QPI) patterns and a comparison with band-structure calculations reveal the existence of Fermi arcs in MoTe 2x S x . More interestingly, a relatively large superconducting gap (∼1.7 meV) is detected by scanning tunneling spectroscopy on the sample surface, showing a hint of topological nontrivial superconductivity based on the pairing of Fermi arc surface states. Our work demonstrates that the T d -phase MoTe 2x S x is not only a promising topological superconductor candidate but also a unique material for study of s + − superconductivity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9503-9508
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume115
Issue number38
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 18 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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