Superconducting proximity effect in a topological insulator using Fe(Te, Se)
Abstract
Interest in the superconducting proximity effect has recently been reignited by theoretical predictions that it could be used to achieve topological superconductivity. Low- Tc superconductors have predominantly been used in this effort, but small energy scales of ~1 meV have hindered the characterization of the emergent electronic phase, limiting it to extremely low temperatures. In this work, we use molecular beam epitaxy to grow topological insulator Bi 2Te3 in a range of thicknesses on top of a high- Tc superconductor Fe(Te,Se). Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we detect Δind as high as ~3.5 meV, which is the largest reported gap induced by proximity to an s -wave superconductor to date. We find that Δind decays with Bi2Te3 thickness, but remains finite even after the topological surface states have been formed. Finally, by imaging the scattering and interference of surface state electrons, we provide a microscopic visualization of the fully gapped Bi2Te3 surface state due to Cooper pairing. Lastly, our results establish Fe-based high- Tc superconductors as a promising new platform for realizing high- Tc topological superconductivity.
- Authors:
-
- Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA (United States). Dept. of Physics
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Emergent Superconductivity (CES); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); US Army Research Office (ARO); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1462410
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1441022
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-207884-2018-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950; PRBMDO; TRN: US1902167
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0012704; W911NF-17-1-0399; NSF-DMR-1654041; FG02-99ER45747
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review B
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 97; Journal Issue: 22; Journal ID: ISSN 2469-9950
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Zhao, He, Rachmilowitz, Bryan, Ren, Zheng, Han, Ruobin, Schneeloch, J., Zhong, Ruidan, Gu, Genda, Wang, Ziqiang, and Zeljkovic, Ilija. Superconducting proximity effect in a topological insulator using Fe(Te, Se). United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.97.224504.
Zhao, He, Rachmilowitz, Bryan, Ren, Zheng, Han, Ruobin, Schneeloch, J., Zhong, Ruidan, Gu, Genda, Wang, Ziqiang, & Zeljkovic, Ilija. Superconducting proximity effect in a topological insulator using Fe(Te, Se). United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.97.224504
Zhao, He, Rachmilowitz, Bryan, Ren, Zheng, Han, Ruobin, Schneeloch, J., Zhong, Ruidan, Gu, Genda, Wang, Ziqiang, and Zeljkovic, Ilija. Thu .
"Superconducting proximity effect in a topological insulator using Fe(Te, Se)". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.97.224504. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1462410.
@article{osti_1462410,
title = {Superconducting proximity effect in a topological insulator using Fe(Te, Se)},
author = {Zhao, He and Rachmilowitz, Bryan and Ren, Zheng and Han, Ruobin and Schneeloch, J. and Zhong, Ruidan and Gu, Genda and Wang, Ziqiang and Zeljkovic, Ilija},
abstractNote = {Interest in the superconducting proximity effect has recently been reignited by theoretical predictions that it could be used to achieve topological superconductivity. Low- Tc superconductors have predominantly been used in this effort, but small energy scales of ~1 meV have hindered the characterization of the emergent electronic phase, limiting it to extremely low temperatures. In this work, we use molecular beam epitaxy to grow topological insulator Bi 2Te3 in a range of thicknesses on top of a high- Tc superconductor Fe(Te,Se). Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we detect Δind as high as ~3.5 meV, which is the largest reported gap induced by proximity to an s -wave superconductor to date. We find that Δind decays with Bi2Te3 thickness, but remains finite even after the topological surface states have been formed. Finally, by imaging the scattering and interference of surface state electrons, we provide a microscopic visualization of the fully gapped Bi2Te3 surface state due to Cooper pairing. Lastly, our results establish Fe-based high- Tc superconductors as a promising new platform for realizing high- Tc topological superconductivity.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.97.224504},
journal = {Physical Review B},
number = 22,
volume = 97,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Thu Jun 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Figures / Tables:
Figure 1: (a) Schematic of Bi2Te3/Fe(Te,Se) heterostructure. STM measurements are probing the exposed top surface of Bi2Te3. (b) Typical post-growth RHEED image of the MBE-grown heterostructure showing long streaks characteristic of two-dimensional layer-by-layer growth. (c) STM topograph showing (d) the exposed Fe(Te,Se) substrate with square atomic lattice and (e) themore »
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