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Synthesis of superconducting two-dimensional non-layered PdTe by interfacial reactions

Nature Synthesis volume 1, pages 908–914 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Highly crystalline two-dimensional (2D) superconductors are emerging as promising platforms for exploring quantum phenomena. Currently, 2D crystalline superconductors are mainly limited to layered materials. In contrast, non-layered 2D superconductors have rarely been investigated due to the inherent challenges for their synthesis within the 2D limit. Here, we developed a facile approach for the synthesis of non-layered 2D superconductors by inducing interfacial reactions at solid–solid interfaces which naturally serve as 2D templates. Highly crystalline 2D PdTe, a typical non-layered superconductor, has been successfully synthesized via this approach. The obtained 2D PdTe exhibited 2D superconductivity with thickness-dependent onset critical temperatures as low as ~2.56 K, lower than that of bulk PdTe. In addition to PdTe, other materials including 2D PtTe have been synthesized via this approach. Our work offers a controlled synthetic route to 2D non-layered materials with intriguing properties for fundamental research and practical applications.

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Fig. 1: Synthesis of PdTe at the interface of Pd–PdTe2.
Fig. 2: Atomic-resolved STEM images of 2D PdTe generated by interfacial reaction.
Fig. 3: Superconductivity of 2D PdTe prepared by interfacial reaction.
Fig. 4: Interfacial reaction applied to the PdTe2–Ag and PtTe2–Pt systems.

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All data that support the findings of this study are available within the paper and its Supplementary information. Source data are provided with the paper.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, grant Nos. 21925504 and 21875127 to L.J.), National Key R&D Program of China (grant No. 2021YFA1200102 to L.J.) and the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Organic Optoelectronics and Molecular Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

    Yueyang Wu, Shufang Yue & Liying Jiao

  2. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fujian, China

    Jingying Zheng & Miaomiao Song

  3. State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, China

    Qi Li & Na Lin

Authors
  1. Yueyang Wu
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  2. Jingying Zheng
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  3. Qi Li
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Contributions

L.J. and Y. W. conceived the ideas. Y. W. performed the experiments. J.Z. and M.S. synthesized the PdTe2 flakes. Q.L. and N. L. carried out the theoretical calculations. S.Y. assisted with PPMS and AFM characterizations. Y.W., Q.L. and L.J. co-wrote the manuscript. All the authors have read the manuscript and commented on it.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liying Jiao.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Peer review information

Nature Synthesis thanks Jin-Feng Jia and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Alexandra Groves, in collaboration with the Nature Synthesis team.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Figs. 1–21 and Discussion.

Supplementary Data 1

Source Raman spectral data of Supplementary Figs. 1, 11, 18, 20.

Supplementary Data 2

Source XPS data of Supplementary Figs. 1 and 5.

Supplementary Data 3

Source data of Supplementary Fig. 1.

Supplementary Data 4

Source electrical data of Supplementary Figs. 2, 13–15 and 17–21.

Supplementary Data 5

Source AFM height profile data of Supplementary Figs. 12 and 16.

Supplementary Data 6

Source AES data of Supplementary Figs. 3, 4 and 17.

Source data

Source Data Fig. 1

Source data of Raman spectra in Fig.1c and source data of XPS spectra in Fig. 1f.

Source Data Fig. 2

Atomic fraction data of Pd and Te in Fig. 2c.

Source Data Fig. 3

Source data of R–T plots in Fig. 3a–d, temperature dependence of critical magnetic fields in Fig. 3e and section of DOS for PdTe with 1 unit cell (1-UC) and 3-UC in Fig. 3f.

Source Data Fig. 4

Source data of Raman spectra in Fig. 4d and h.

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Wu, Y., Zheng, J., Li, Q. et al. Synthesis of superconducting two-dimensional non-layered PdTe by interfacial reactions. Nat. Synth 1, 908–914 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44160-022-00149-7

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