Time-reversal invariant and fully gapped unconventional superconducting state in the bulk of the topological compound Nb0.25Bi2Se3

Das, Debarchan; Kobayashi, K.; Smylie, M. P.; Mielke III, C.; Takahashi, T.; Willa, K.; Yin, J.-X.; Welp, U.; Hasan, M. Z.; Amato, A.; Luetkens, H.; Guguchia, Z.

doi:10.1103/physrevb.102.134514

Title: Time-reversal invariant and fully gapped unconventional superconducting state in the bulk of the topological compound Nb_0.25Bi₂Se₃

Journal Article · Thu Oct 29 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Physical Review B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.102.134514· OSTI ID:1765365

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^[1]; Takahashi, T. ^[2];

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^[5]; Welp, U. ^[6]; Hasan, M. Z. ^[5]; Amato, A. ^[1];

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Paul Scherrer Inst. (PSI), Villigen (Switzerland)
Okayama Univ. (Japan)
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY (United States)
Karlsruhe Inst. of Technology (KIT) (Germany)
Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Lemont, IL (United States)

Recently, the niobium (Nb) doped topological insulator Bi₂Se₃, in which the finite magnetic moments of the Nb atoms are intercalated in the van der Waals gap between the Bi₂Se₃ layers, has been shown to exhibit both superconductivity with $$T_c$$ ≃ 3 K and topological surface states. Here we report on muon spin rotation experiments probing the temperature and field dependence of effective magnetic penetration depth $$λ_{\text{eff}}(T)$$ in the layered topological superconductor candidate Nb_0.25Bi₂Se₃. In this work the exponential temperature dependence of $$λ^{–2}_{\text{eff}}(T)$$ at low temperatures suggests a fully gapped superconducting state in the bulk with the superconducting transition temperature $$T_c$$ = 2.9 K and the gap to $$T_c$$ ratio 2Δ /$$k_BT_c$$ = 3.95(19). We also reveal that the ratio Tc/λ–2eff is comparable to those of unconventional superconductors, which hints at an unconventional pairing mechanism. Furthermore, time-reversal symmetry breaking was excluded in the superconducting state with sensitive zero-field μSR experiments. We hope the present results will stimulate theoretical investigations to obtain a microscopic understanding of the relation between superconductivity and the topologically nontrivial electronic structure of Nb_0.25Bi₂Se₃.

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Research Organization:: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357; 18K03540; 19H01852

OSTI ID:: 1765365

Journal Information:: Physical Review B, Vol. 102, Issue 13; ISSN 2469-9950

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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