High-temperature topological superconductivity in twisted double-layer copper oxides

• Published in: Nature physics 2021-04, Vol.17 (4), p.519-524
• Main Authors: Can, Oguzhan, Tummuru, Tarun, Day, Ryan P., Elfimov, Ilya, Damascelli, Andrea, Franz, Marcel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/766; 639/766/119; 639/766/119/1003; 639/766/119/2792; Atomic; Bilayers; Bismuth; Classical and Continuum Physics; Complex Systems; Condensed Matter Physics; Copper; Copper oxides; Graphene; High temperature; Mathematical and Computational Physics; Molecular; Monolayers; Optical and Plasma Physics; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Superconductivity; Symmetry; Temperature; Theoretical; Topological superconductors; Transition metal compounds; Two dimensional materials
• ISSN: 1745-2473; 1745-2481
• DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-01142-7

Various phenomena occur when two-dimensional materials, such as graphene or transition metal dichalcogenides, are assembled into bilayers with a twist between the individual layers. As an application of this paradigm, we predict that structures composed of two-monolayer-thin d -wave superconductors with a twist angle form a robust, fully gapped topological phase with spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry and protected chiral Majorana edge modes. These structures can be realized by mechanically exfoliating van der Waals-bonded high-critical-temperature copper oxide materials, such as Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 +  δ . Our symmetry arguments and detailed microscopic modelling suggest that this phase will form for a range of twist angles in the vicinity of 45°, and will set in at a temperature close to the bulk superconducting critical temperature of 90 K. Therefore, this platform may provide a long-sought realization of a true high-temperature topological superconductor. Two monolayers of bismuth-containing cuprate will form a high-temperature topological superconductor when stacked with an approximately 45° rotation between the layers.