Superconducting properties and materials articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article
  04 October 2018 | Open Access

  A ballistic graphene superconducting microwave circuit

  Encapsulated graphene Josephson junctions are promising for microwave quantum circuits but so far haven’t been explored. Here, Schmidt and Jenkins et al. observe a gate-tunable Josephson inductance in a microwave circuit based on a ballistic graphene Josephson junction embedded in a superconducting cavity.

  • Felix E. Schmidt
  • , Mark D. Jenkins
  •  & Gary A. Steele

• Article
  01 October 2018 | Open Access

  Carrier density and disorder tuned superconductor-metal transition in a two-dimensional electron system

  Studying quantum phase transitions at oxide interfaces provide a key to understand emergent two-dimensional (2D) superconductivity. Here, Chen et al. report comprehensive electronic phase diagram of the 2D electron system at the superconducting LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface with independent control of carrier density and disorder.

  • Zhuoyu Chen
  • , Adrian G. Swartz
  •  & Harold Y. Hwang

• Article
  24 September 2018 | Open Access

  Circuit quantum electrodynamics of granular aluminum resonators

  The electrodynamics of superconducting devices make them suitable for applications as detectors, amplifiers, and qubits. Here the authors show that resonators made from granular aluminum, which naturally realizes a network of Josephson junctions, have practically useful impedances and nonlinearities.

  • N. Maleeva
  • , L. Grünhaupt
  •  & I. M. Pop

• Article
  13 September 2018 | Open Access

  Spin dynamics of the block orbital-selective Mott phase

  Exploring the orbital-selective Mott phase (OSMP) addresses the central issue of electron correlations in the iron-based superconductors. Here the authors theoretically study the dynamical spin structure factor in the block-OSMP regime and unveil momentum dependent characteristics for different spin excitation modes.

  • J. Herbrych
  • , N. Kaushal
  •  & E. Dagotto

• Article
  28 August 2018 | Open Access

  Finite momentum Cooper pairing in three-dimensional topological insulator Josephson junctions

  Unconventional superconductivity may emerge from the interplay between strong spin–orbit coupling and magnetism. Here, Chen et al. report an anomalous Fraunhofer pattern in three-dimensional topological insulator Bi₂Se₃ and attribute it as a signature of finite momentum Cooper pairing.

  • Angela Q. Chen
  • , Moon Jip Park
  •  & Nadya Mason

• Article
  14 August 2018 | Open Access

  Engineering the spin couplings in atomically crafted spin chains on an elemental superconductor

  Magnetic atomic chains assembled on the surface of superconductors are a potential platform for engineering topological superconducting phases. Here the authors step towards this by manipulating magnetic atoms at interstitial sites to tune interatomic interactions and control the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov states that form.

  • A. Kamlapure
  • , L. Cornils
  •  & R. Wiesendanger

• Article
  07 August 2018 | Open Access

  Local orthorhombic lattice distortions in the paramagnetic tetragonal phase of superconducting NaFe_1−xNi_xAs

  The interplay between nematic, antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity in the iron pnictide superconductors remains obscured. Here, Wang et al. demonstrate well-separated nematic and Neel transition temperatures near optimal superconductivity in NaFe_1−xNi_xAs and uncover local distortions which could account for rotational symmetry breaking common in iron pnictides.

  • Weiyi Wang
  • , Yu Song
  •  & Pengcheng Dai

• Article
  30 July 2018 | Open Access

  Stabilization of three-dimensional charge order in YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x via epitaxial growth

  In many cuprates the high temperature superconducting state competes with a charge ordered phase that has been difficult to investigate in detail. Here the authors show three-dimensional charge order can be stabilized in YBCO films and studied without using the high magnetic fields that are necessary in the bulk material.

  • M. Bluschke
  • , A. Frano
  •  & B. Keimer

• Article
  19 July 2018 | Open Access

  Gate-controlled quantum dots and superconductivity in planar germanium

  Superconductor–semiconductor hybrid systems can bring together physical properties that are promising for fast and coherent quantum technology. Here, Hendrickx et al. realize such a system in planar germanium heterostructures demonstrating excellent quantum dots and tunable Josephson supercurrents.

  • N. W. Hendrickx
  • , D. P. Franke
  •  & M. Veldhorst

• Article
  18 July 2018 | Open Access

  Using controlled disorder to probe the interplay between charge order and superconductivity in NbSe₂

  The interplay between superconductivity and charge density wave (CDW) in 2H-NbSe₂ is still not fully understood. Here, Cho et al. use controlled disorder to probe the interplay between these two phases in 2H-NbSe₂ and find that superconductivity initially competes with CDW but eventually long-range CDW order assists superconductivity.

  • Kyuil Cho
  • , M. Kończykowski
  •  & R. Prozorov

• Article
  04 July 2018 | Open Access

  Discovery of a strain-stabilised smectic electronic order in LiFeAs

  Small structural distortions may lead to dramatic modification in the electronic states in strong correlated materials. Here, Yim et al. image a strain-stabilized smectic electronic order in LiFeAs with both broken rotational symmetry and reduced translational symmetry.

  • Chi Ming Yim
  • , Christopher Trainer
  •  & Peter Wahl

• Article
  03 July 2018 | Open Access

  Tunable and switchable magnetic dipole patterns in nanostructured superconductors

  By designing superconducting materials the behavior of supercurrents can be controlled to give different emergent behavior. Ge et al. fabricate superconducting films in which currents form geometrically frustrated magnetic dipoles that can be tuned further by coupling to a vortex lattice.

  • Jun-Yi Ge
  • , Vladimir N. Gladilin
  •  & Victor V. Moshchalkov

• Article
  18 June 2018 | Open Access

  Yu–Shiba–Rusinov screening of spins in double quantum dots

  Coupling superconductors to mesoscopic systems leads to unusual effects that could be exploited in new devices including topological quantum computers. Here the authors present a double quantum dot with a Yu–Shiba–Rusinov ground state arising from the interplay of Coulomb interactions and superconductivity.

  • K. Grove-Rasmussen
  • , G. Steffensen
  •  & J. Nygård

• Article
  11 June 2018 | Open Access

  Transport regimes of a split gate superconducting quantum point contact in the two-dimensional LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ superfluid

  Quantum transport in superconductors remains difficult to study due to the typically small Fermi wavelength. Here, Thierschmann et al. demonstrate a superconducting quantum point contact with split gate technology at the superconducting LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface and, due to its two-dimensionality, identify three regimes of quantum transport.

  • Holger Thierschmann
  • , Emre Mulazimoglu
  •  & Andrea D. Caviglia

• Article
  11 June 2018 | Open Access

  Expansion of a superconducting vortex core into a diffusive metal

  Quantum condensates may penetrate from one material to another due to the proximity effect. Here, Stolyarov et al. report the spatial evolution of quantum vortices from a superconducting Nb layer to a 50 nanometer thick diffusive metallic Cu-film, which is quite thick away from the interface.

  • Vasily S. Stolyarov
  • , Tristan Cren
  •  & Dimitri Roditchev

• Article
  06 June 2018 | Open Access

  Broken translational symmetry at edges of high-temperature superconductors

  Zero-energy flat bands indicate topological origin but their presence is usually energetically unfavorable. Here, Holmvall et al. propose an order parameter to quantify a phase transition associated with exotic topological properties in high-temperature superconductors hosting such flat bands.

  • P. Holmvall
  • , A. B. Vorontsov
  •  & T. Löfwander

• Article
  04 June 2018 | Open Access

  Double quantum criticality in superconducting tin arrays-graphene hybrid

  Two quantum critical behaviors appear in a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) but its origin remains to be attested. Here, Sun et al. construct superconducting puddles-2DEG hybrid system by depositing tin nano-islands array on monolayer graphene where the two quantum critical behaviors are reproduced, suggesting the formation of inhomogeneous superconducting 2DEG.

  • Yinbo Sun
  • , Hong Xiao
  •  & Xi Wang

• Article
  30 May 2018 | Open Access

  Tuning the interplay between nematicity and spin fluctuations in Na_1−xLi _x FeAs superconductors

  Whether the spin, charge and orbital degrees of freedom could drive an iron-based superconductor to the nematic state remains elusive. Here, Baek et al. report the doping-temperature phase diagram of Na_1−xLi _x FeAs and show a subtle relationship between nematicity and spin fluctuations with respect to doping.

  • S.-H. Baek
  • , Dilip Bhoi
  •  & Kee Hoon Kim

• Article
  29 May 2018 | Open Access

  Amorphous topological superconductivity in a Shiba glass

  Apart from the intensive efforts to explore topological properties in crystalline materials, the study of such properties in amorphous materials has been rare. Here, Pöyhönen et al. predict a topological superconducting phase in an ensemble of randomly distributed magnetic atoms on a superconducting surface.

  • Kim Pöyhönen
  • , Isac Sahlberg
  •  & Teemu Ojanen

• Article
  15 May 2018 | Open Access

  Emergent superconductivity in an iron-based honeycomb lattice initiated by pressure-driven spin-crossover

  Up to now, all iron-based high-T_c superconductors contain a square iron lattice. Here, Wang et al. report the observation of superconductivity in an iron honeycomb lattice accompanied with pressure-driven spin-crossover, in-plane lattice collapse and insulator-metal transition.

  • Yonggang Wang
  • , Jianjun Ying
  •  & Ho-kwang Mao

• Article
  12 April 2018 | Open Access

  Tuning Ising superconductivity with layer and spin–orbit coupling in two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenides

  Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) is promising to host features of topological superconductivity. Here, de la Barrera et al. study layered compounds, 2H-TaS₂ and 2H-NbSe₂, in their atomic layer limit and find a largest upper critical field for an intrinsic TMD superconductor.

  • Sergio C. de la Barrera
  • , Michael R. Sinko
  •  & Benjamin M. Hunt

• Article
  06 March 2018 | Open Access

  Discrete energy levels of Caroli-de Gennes-Matricon states in quantum limit in FeTe_0.55Se_0.45

  Despite predicted decades ago, the discrete Caroli-de Gennes-Matricon states are difficult to observe. Here, Chen et al. observe discrete states appearing near zero bias at the vortex center of FeTe_0.55Se_0.45, strongly suggesting a Caroli-de Gennes-Matricon state.

  • Mingyang Chen
  • , Xiaoyu Chen
  •  & Hai-Hu Wen

• Article
  06 March 2018 | Open Access

  Direct observation of orbital hybridisation in a cuprate superconductor

  The essential physics of cuprate superconductors is often described by single-band models. Here, Matt et al. report direct observation of a two-band electronic structure in La-based cuprates.

  • C. E. Matt
  • , D. Sutter
  •  & J. Chang

• Article
  02 March 2018 | Open Access

  Decomposing the Bragg glass and the peak effect in a Type-II superconductor

  The disordering of the vortex lattice in a type-II superconductor is widely perceived to underpin unusual peaks in the temperature and field dependence of critical current. By contrast, here Toft-Petersen et al. find an order-disorder transition in a superconducting vanadium sample that is unconnected with peaks observed in critical current.

  • Rasmus Toft-Petersen
  • , Asger B. Abrahamsen
  •  & Mark Laver

• Article
  22 February 2018 | Open Access

  Quantum phase transitions in highly crystalline two-dimensional superconductors

  Superconductor-insulator transitions predominantly occur in highly disordered thin films. Here, Saito et al. report that a quantum metallic state transforms via the quantum Griffiths state to a weakly localized metal at high magnetic fields in a crystalline two-dimensional superconductor.

  • Yu Saito
  • , Tsutomu Nojima
  •  & Yoshihiro Iwasa

• Article
  09 February 2018 | Open Access

  Spectroscopy of bulk and few-layer superconducting NbSe₂ with van der Waals tunnel junctions

  Ideal tunnel junctions require high-quality, defect-free insulating barriers. Here, the authors demonstrate that van der Waals tunnel barriers atop bulk and ultrathin superconducting NbSe₂ sustain a stable tunneling current and allow mapping of the spectral evolution of layered superconductors.

  • T. Dvir
  • , F. Massee
  •  & H. Steinberg

• Article
  07 February 2018 | Open Access

  Visualizing heavy fermion confinement and Pauli-limited superconductivity in layered CeCoIn₅

  The electronic properties along the out-of-plane direction of layered materials are often inferred indirectly. Here, Gyenis et al. directly probe in cross-section the quasi-two-dimensional correlated electronic states of the heavy fermion superconductor CeCoIn₅.

  • András Gyenis
  • , Benjamin E. Feldman
  •  & Ali Yazdani

• Article
  30 January 2018 | Open Access

  A peak in the critical current for quantum critical superconductors

  Knowledge of critical current may provide important information to understand unconventional superconductivity and quantum critical behavior. Here, Jung et al. observe a peak in the pressure dependence of the zero-field critical current at a hidden quantum critical point in pure and Sn-doped heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn₅.

  • Soon-Gil Jung
  • , Soonbeom Seo
  •  & Tuson Park

• Article
  29 January 2018 | Open Access

  Competition between electron pairing and phase coherence in superconducting interfaces

  The nature of the doping dependent superconducting transition remains elusive for a two dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface. Here, Singh et al. report superfluid stiffness and the superconducting gap energy at such interface as a function of carrier density.

  • G. Singh
  • , A. Jouan
  •  & N. Bergeal

• Article
  25 January 2018 | Open Access

  Reemergence of high-T_c superconductivity in the (Li_1-xFe _x )OHFe_1-ySe under high pressure

  The understanding of the reemergence of pressure induced superconductivity in alkali-metal intercalated FeSe is hampered by sample complexities. Here, Sun et al. report the electronic properties of (Li_1–xFe _x )OHFe_1–ySe single crystal not only in the reemerged superconducting state but also in the normal state.

  • J. P. Sun
  • , P. Shahi
  •  & J.-G. Cheng

• Article
  18 January 2018 | Open Access

  Superconducting gap anisotropy sensitive to nematic domains in FeSe

  The superconducting gap structure of FeSe remains a debated issue. Here, Hashimoto et al. report momentum dependence of the gap in single- and multi-domain regions of orthorhombic FeSe crystals, revealing an unusual node lifting of the gap structure in multi-domain regions.

  • Takahiro Hashimoto
  • , Yuichi Ota
  •  & Shik Shin

• Article
  11 January 2018 | Open Access

  Discovery of superconductivity in quasicrystal

  Superconductivity is evidenced in crystals and amorphous solids, but remains to be discovered in quasicrystals. Here, Kamiya et al. report the emergence of bulk superconductivity in Al-Zn-Mg quasicrystal at a very low transition temperature about 0.05 K.

  • K. Kamiya
  • , T. Takeuchi
  •  & N. K. Sato

• Article
  09 January 2018 | Open Access

  Unidirectional spin density wave state in metallic (Sr_1−xLa _x )₂IrO₄

  Electron-doped Sr₂IrO₄ is an intriguing material for searching for an unconventional superconducting state. Here the authors demonstrate that a spin density wave state exists in the metallic phase of electron-doped Sr₂IrO₄ which provides a link between the electronic phase diagrams of the hole-doped cuprates and the electron-doped iridates.

  • Xiang Chen
  • , Julian L. Schmehr
  •  & Stephen D. Wilson

• Article
  08 January 2018 | Open Access

  Strain control of oxygen kinetics in the Ruddlesden-Popper oxide La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄

  The desirable functional properties of complex oxide materials are often influenced by the presence of oxygen defects and epitaxial strain. Meyer et al. demonstrate the role of oxygen defect kinetics in the strain control of the superconducting transition temperature of LSCO.

  • Tricia L. Meyer
  • , Ryan Jacobs
  •  & Ho Nyung Lee

• Article
  02 January 2018 | Open Access

  Coherent organization of electronic correlations as a mechanism to enhance and stabilize high-T _C cuprate superconductivity

  Whether the normal state electronic correlations in cuprates are responsible for superconductivity remains elusive. Here, Li et al. report that such correlations turn into a renormalized coherent state starting well above the superconducting transition, and it leads to a strengthened superconductive pairing.

  • Haoxiang Li
  • , Xiaoqing Zhou
  •  & Daniel S. Dessau

• Article
  18 December 2017 | Open Access

  Frustration-driven C ₄ symmetric order in a naturally-heterostructured superconductor Sr₂VO₃FeAs

  Iron-based superconductors exhibit complex couplings between different electronic degrees of freedom, leading to unusual correlated phases. Ok et al. show that Sr₂VO₃FeAs develops a hidden order state due to frustrated interactions between the magnetic fluctuations of its SrVO₃ and SrFeAs layers.

  • Jong Mok Ok
  • , S.-H. Baek
  •  & Jun Sung Kim

• Article
  12 December 2017 | Open Access

  Controlling supercurrents and their spatial distribution in ferromagnets

  Controlling supercurrent pathways in a Josephson junction can lead to new functionalities. Here, Lahabi et al. demonstrate the tailoring of two distinct supercurrent channels in a ferromagnetic disk containing a magnetic vortex.

  • Kaveh Lahabi
  • , Morten Amundsen
  •  & Jan Aarts

• Article
  12 December 2017 | Open Access

  Comprehensive phase diagram of two-dimensional space charge doped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x

  The determination of the phase diagram of cuprate superconductors involves chemical doping which introduces disorder and could mask intrinsic effects. Sterpetti et al. establish this phase diagram with transport measurements in ultra-thin samples by modulating the carrier density with an alternative electrostatic method.

  • Edoardo Sterpetti
  • , Johan Biscaras
  •  & Abhay Shukla

• Article
  11 December 2017 | Open Access

  Pseudogap phase of cuprate superconductors confined by Fermi surface topology

  High-temperature superconductors exhibit pseudogap behaviour that remains of unknown origin, despite many years of intensive study. Here the authors study the onset of the pseudogap under pressure, providing evidence that it requires a hole-like Fermi surface and constraining future theoretical developments.

  • N. Doiron-Leyraud
  • , O. Cyr-Choinière
  •  & Louis Taillefer

• Article
  11 December 2017 | Open Access

  Two-dimensional topological superconductivity in Pb/Co/Si(111)

  One-dimensional topological superconductors are predicted to host zero-energy Majorana fermions at their extremities. Here, the authors observe dispersive edge states in a monolayer of Pb/Si(111) coupled to a ferromagnetic domain.

  • Gerbold C. Ménard
  • , Sébastien Guissart
  •  & Tristan Cren

• Article
  08 December 2017 | Open Access

  Scaling of Yu-Shiba-Rusinov energies in the weak-coupling Kondo regime

  The description of a paramagnetic impurity on a superconductor remains elusive in the weak-coupling Kondo regime. Here, Hatter et al. correlate the energy of the Yu-Shiba-Rusinov bound states with the intensity of the Kondo resonances in such a regime, revealing a behavior well described by classical spin models.

  • Nino Hatter
  • , Benjamin W. Heinrich
  •  & Katharina J. Franke

• Article
  08 December 2017 | Open Access

  Induced unconventional superconductivity on the surface states of Bi₂Te₃ topological insulator

  Proximity effect may induce unconventional superconductivity in the topologically protected surface states of a topological insulator, however experimental evidence remains rare. Here, Charpentier et al. report proximity effect induced superconductivity in nanoscale Josephson junctions and suggest an unconventional p-wave order parameter.

  • Sophie Charpentier
  • , Luca Galletti
  •  & Floriana Lombardi

• Article
  04 December 2017 | Open Access

  Direct evidence of hidden local spin polarization in a centrosymmetric superconductor LaO_0.55 F_0.45BiS₂

  The local broken symmetry induced spin-splitting in centrosymmetric materials has been predicted previously. Here the authors provide spectroscopic evidence for the coexistence of Rashba-like and Dresselhaus-like spin textures in centrosymmetric electron doped superconductor La(O,F)BiS₂.

  • Shi-Long Wu
  • , Kazuki Sumida
  •  & Taichi Okuda

• Article
  01 December 2017 | Open Access

  Nematic superconducting state in iron pnictide superconductors

  Nematic electronic order is rare and its onset often indicates a phase transition. Here, Li et al. report a nematic superconducting state in Ba_0.5K_0.5Fe₂As₂ by measuring the angular dependence of the in-plane and out-of-plane magnetoresistivity.

  • Jun Li
  • , Paulo J. Pereira
  •  & Victor V. Moshchalkov

• Article
  02 November 2017 | Open Access

  Charge-density-wave order takes over antiferromagnetism in Bi₂Sr_2−x La _x CuO₆ superconductors

  Whilst superconductivity usually appears when magnetic order is suppressed, the role of charge is less known. Here, Kawasaki et al. report a charge density wave (CDW) above the superconducting transition induced by an in-plane magnetic field in Bi₂Sr_2-x La _x CuO₆, with the CDW onset temperature scaling with the pseudogap temperature.

  • S. Kawasaki
  • , Z. Li
  •  & Guo-qing Zheng

• Article
  26 October 2017 | Open Access

  Maximizing T _c by tuning nematicity and magnetism in FeSe_1−x S _x superconductors

  The overlap between different phases has hindered the understanding of how each phase affects superconductivity in FeSe. Here, Matsuura et al. achieve a complete separation of non-magnetic nematic and antiferromagnetic phases for FeSe_1-x S _x , observing a tetragonal phase in between with a strikingly enhanced T _c.

  • K. Matsuura
  • , Y. Mizukami
  •  & T. Shibauchi

• Article
  20 October 2017 | Open Access

  Signatures of the topological s ⁺⁻ superconducting order parameter in the type-II Weyl semimetal T _d-MoTe₂

  Understanding the superconductivity in topological materials is of eminent interest. Here, Guguchia et al. report temperature-dependent magnetic penetration depth in the superconducting state of T _d -MoTe₂ under pressure, suggesting a topologically nontrivial s ⁺⁻ order parameter.

  • Z. Guguchia
  • , F. von Rohr
  •  & Y. J. Uemura

• Article
  17 October 2017 | Open Access

  Full-gap superconductivity in spin-polarised surface states of topological semimetal β-PdBi₂

  Although several materials have been proposed as topological superconductors, spin textures and superconductivity at the surface remain elusive. Here, Iwaya et al. determine the spin textures at the surface of a superconductor β-PdBi₂ and find the superconducting gap opening in all spin-polarised surface states.

  • K. Iwaya
  • , Y. Kohsaka
  •  & T. Sasagawa

• Article
  11 October 2017 | Open Access

  Quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity from dimerization of atomically ordered AuTe₂Se_4/3 cubes

  Emergent phenomena often appear in crystals in the two-dimensional limit but are rare in bulky compounds. Here, Guo et al. report a quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity in a bulk material AuTe₂Se_4/3 at 2.85 K, potentially owing to a topological transition.

  • J. G. Guo
  • , X. Chen
  •  & X. L. Chen

• Article
  26 September 2017 | Open Access

  Fermiology and electron dynamics of trilayer nickelate La₄Ni₃O₁₀

  Exploration of the electronic structure of nickelates with similar crystal structure to cuprates may shed a light on the origin of high T_c superconductivity. Here, Li et al. report strong resemblances and key differences of the electronic structure of trilayer nickelate La₄Ni₃O₁₀ compared to the cuprate superconductors.

  • Haoxiang Li
  • , Xiaoqing Zhou
  •  & D. S. Dessau