Electrically tunable low-density superconductivity in a monolayer topological insulator

Turning on superconductivity in a topologically nontrivial insulator may provide a route to search for non-Abelian topological states. However, existing demonstrations of superconductor-insulator switches have involved only topologically trivial systems. Here we report reversible, in situ electrosta...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2018-10, Vol.362 (6417)
Main Authors: Fatemi, Valla, Wu, Sanfeng, Cao, Yuan, Bretheau, Landry, Gibson, Quinn D., Watanabe, Kenji, Taniguchi, Takashi, Cava, Robert J., Jarillo-Herrero, Pablo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
solar (photovoltaic), solid state lighting, photosynthesis (natural and artificial), charge transport, optics, synthesis (novel materials), synthesis (self-assembly), synthesis (scalable processing)
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Summary:Turning on superconductivity in a topologically nontrivial insulator may provide a route to search for non-Abelian topological states. However, existing demonstrations of superconductor-insulator switches have involved only topologically trivial systems. Here we report reversible, in situ electrostatic on-off switching of superconductivity in the recently established quantum spin Hall insulator monolayer tungsten ditelluride (WTe2). Fabricated into a van der Waals field-effect transistor, the monolayer’s ground state can be continuously gate-tuned from the topological insulating to the superconducting state, with critical temperaturesTcup to ~1 kelvin. Our results establish monolayer WTe2as a material platform for engineering nanodevices that combine superconducting and topological phases of matter.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.aar4642