| CONDENSED MATTER: ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC, AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES |
Prev
Next
|
|
|
Evidence of a strongly anisotropic superconducting gap in kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5: A study of directional point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy |
| Yu-Qing Zhao(赵宇清)1,†, Zhi-Fan Wu(武治帆)1,†, Hai-Yan Zuo(左海艳)1, Wei-Ming Lao(劳威铭)1, Wang-Ju Yang(杨王菊)1, Qiu-Xia Chen(陈秋霞)1, Yao He(何垚)1, Hai Wang(王海)1, Wenxin Lv(吕文欣)2,3, Qi Wang(王琦)4, Yan-Peng Qi(齐彦鹏)4, Gang Mu(牟刚)5, Hechang Lei(雷和畅)2,3,‡, and Cong Ren(任聪)1,§ |
1 School of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China;
2 School of Physics and Beijing Key Laboratory of Opto-electronic Functional Materials and Micro-nano Devices, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China;
3 Key Laboratory of Quantum State Construction and Manipulation (Ministry of Education), Renming University of China, Bijing 100872, China;
4 State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials, School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China;
5 State Key Laboratory of Materials for Integrated Circuits, Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200050, China |
|
|
|
|
Abstract In the recently discovered V-based kagome superconductors $A$V$_3$Sb$_5$ ($A = {\rm K}$, Rb, Cs), superconductivity intertwines with an unconventional charge density wave (CDW), raising fundamental questions concerning the superconducting gap structure in the presence of such intertwined orders. Here, we perform the first directional point-contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) spectroscopy measurement on CsV$_3$Sb$_5$ to probe its superconducting gap structure. Strikingly distinct PCAR spectra emerge depending on the current injection direction: an in-gap zero-bias conductance peak dominates for currents parallel to the $ab$-plane, contrasting to a gap-like structure observed perpendicularly. Quantitative analysis using a modified BTK-model estimates a pronounced gap anisotropy of $\sim$70 % with a gap minimum $\sim 0.15$ meV. These results provide a foundation for further understanding the nature of the topological superconducting state on the sample edges.
|
Received: 17 September 2025
Revised: 01 December 2025
Accepted manuscript online: 04 December 2025
|
|
PACS:
|
74.70.-b
|
(Superconducting materials other than cuprates)
|
| |
74.20.Rp
|
(Pairing symmetries (other than s-wave))
|
| |
74.45.+c
|
(Proximity effects; Andreev reflection; SN and SNS junctions)
|
|
| Fund: C.R. acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Joint Fund of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (Grant No. 2019FY003008). H. Wang acknowledges financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 62164006) and Yunnan Fundamental Reseach Projects (Grant No. 202201AS07008). Y. Q. Zhao and Z. F. Wu are thankful for financial support from the “16th Graduate Research Innovation Project” of Yunnan University (Grant No. KC-24249857). H.C.L. was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2022YFA1403800) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 12274459). Y.Q. was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2018YFA0704300). |
Corresponding Authors:
Hechang Lei, Cong Ren
E-mail: hlei@ruc.edu.cn;cren@ynu.edu.cn
|
Cite this article:
Yu-Qing Zhao(赵宇清), Zhi-Fan Wu(武治帆), Hai-Yan Zuo(左海艳), Wei-Ming Lao(劳威铭), Wang-Ju Yang(杨王菊), Qiu-Xia Chen(陈秋霞), Yao He(何垚), Hai Wang(王海), Wenxin Lv(吕文欣), Qi Wang(王琦), Yan-Peng Qi(齐彦鹏), Gang Mu(牟刚), Hechang Lei(雷和畅), and Cong Ren(任聪) Evidence of a strongly anisotropic superconducting gap in kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5: A study of directional point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 057405
|
[1] Norman M R 2016 Rev. Mod. Phys. 88 041002
[2] Balents L 2010 Nature 464 199
[3] Liu E K, Sun Y, Kumar N, et al. 2015 Nat. Phys. 14 1125
[4] Liu D F, Liang A J, Liu E K, Xu Q N, Li Y W, Chen C, Pei D, Shi W J, Mo S K, Dudin P, Kim T, Cacho C, Li G, Sun Y, Yang L X, Liu Z K, Parkin S S, Felser C and Chen Y L 2019 Science 365 1282
[5] Kiesel M L, Platt C and Thomale R 2013 Phys. Rev. Lett. 110 126405
[6] Wang W S, Li Z Z, Xiang Y Y and Wang Q H 2013 Phys. Rev. B 87 115135
[7] Ko W H, Lee P A and Wen X G 2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 214502
[8] Yu S L and Li J X 2012 Phys. Rev. B 85 144402
[9] Ortiz B R, Teicher S M L, Hu Y, Zuo J L, Sarte P M, Schueller E C, Abeykoon A M, Krogstad M J, Rosenkranz S, Osborn R, Seshadri R, Balents L, He J and Wilson S D 2020 Phys. Rev. Lett. 125 247002
[10] Yin Q W, Tu Z J, Gong C S, Fu Y, Yan S H and Lei H C 2021 Chin. Phys. Lett. 38 037403
[11] Liu Z, Zhao N, Yin Q, Gong C, Tu Z, Li M, Song W, Liu Z, Shen D, Huang Y, Liu K, Lei H and Wang S 2021 Phys. Rev. X 11 041010
[12] Ortiz B R, Gomes L C, Morey J R, Winiarski M, Bordelon M, Mangum J S, Oswald I W H, Rodriguez-Rivera J A, Neilson J R, Wilson S D, Ertekin E, McQueen T M and Toberer E S 2019 Phys. Rev. Mater. 3 094407
[13] Ortiz B R, Sarte P M, Kenney E M, Graf M J, Teicher S M L, Seshadri R and Wilson S D 2021 Phys. Rev. Mater. 5 034801
[14] Jiang Y X, Yin J X, Denner M M, et al. 2021 Nat. Mater. 20 1353
[15] Tan H X, Liu Y Z, Wang Z Q and Yan B H 2021 Phys. Rev. Lett. 127 046401
[16] Nie L P, Sun K L, Ma W R, et al. 2022 Nature 604 59
[17] Wilson S D and Ortiz B R 2024 Nat. Rev. Mater. 9 420
[18] Jiang K, Wu T, Yin J X, Wang Z Y, Hasan M Y, Wilson S D, Chen X H and Hu J P 2023 Nat. Sci. Rev. 10 nwac199
[19] Song B Q, Ying T P, Wu X X, Xia W, Yin Q W, Zhang Q H, Song Y P, Yang X F, Guo J G, Gu L, Chen X L, Hu J P, Andreas S P, Lei H C, Guo Y F and Li S Y 2023 Nat. Commun. 14 2492
[20] Zheng L X, Wu Z M, Yang Y, Nie L P, Shan M, Sun K Lv, Song D W, Yu F H, Li J, Zhao D, Li S J, Kang B L, Zhou Y B, Liu K, Xiang Z J, Ying J J, Wang Z Y, Wu T and Chen X H 2022 Nature 611 682
[21] Asaba T, Onishi A, Kageyama Y, et al. 2024 Nat. Phys. 20 40
[22] Mu C, Yin Q, Tu Z, Gong C, Lei H, Li Z and Luo J 2021 Chin. Phys. Lett. 38 077402
[23] Duan W Y, Nie Z Y, Luo S S, Yu F H, Ortiz B R, Yin L C, Su H, Du F, Wang A, Chen Y, Lu X, Ying J J, Wilson S D, Chen X H, Song Y and Yuan H Q 2021 Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 64 1
[24] Yin L C, Zhang D T, Chen C F, Ye G, Yu F H, Ortiz B R, Luo S S, Duan W Y, Su H, Ying J J, Wilson S D, Chen X H, Yuan H Q, Song Y and Lu X 2021 Phys. Rev. B 104 174507
[25] He M C, Zi H, Zhan H X, Zhao Y Q, Ren C, Hou X Y, Shan L, Wang Q H, Yin Q W, Tu Z, Gong C, Lei H, Lu Z Y, Wang Q, Qi Y P, Chen G F and Xiong P 2022 Phys. Rev. B 106 104510
[26] Zhao C C, Wang L S, Xia W, Yin Q W, Ni J M, Huang Y Y, Tu C P, Tao Z C, Tu Z J, Gong C S, Lei H C, Guo Y F, Yang X F and Li S Y 2021 arXiv:2102.08356v2
[27] Gupta R, Das D, Mielke C H Ⅲ, Guguchia Z, Shiroka T, Baines Ch, Bartkowiak M, Luetkens H, Khasanov R, Yin Q W, Tu Z J, Gong C S and Lei H C 2022 npj Quantum Materials 7 49
[28] Xu H S, Yan Y J, Yin R T, Xia W, Fang S J, Chen Z Y, Li Y J, Yang W Q, Guo Y F and Feng D L 2021 Phys. Rev. Lett. 127 187004
[29] Chen H, Yang H T, Hu B, Zhao Z, Yuan J, Xing Y Q, Qian G J, Huang Z H, Li G, Ye Y H, Ma S, Ni S L, Zhang H, Yin Q W, Gong C S, Tu Z J, Lei H C, Tan H X, Zhou S, Shen C M, Dong X L, Yan B H, Wang Z Q and Gao H J 2021 Nature 599 222
[30] Mine A, Zhong Y, Liu J, Suzuki T, Najafzadeh S, Uchiyama T, Yin J X, Wu X, Shi X, Wang Z, Yao Y and Okazaki K 2024 arXiv.2404.18472
[31] Hu B, Chen H, Ye Y, Huang Z H, Han X H, Zhao Z, Xiao H Q, Lin X, Yang H T, Wang Z Q and Gao H J 2024 Nat. Commun. 15 6109
[32] Deng H, Liu G, Guguchia Z, et al. 2024 Nat. Mater. 23 16394
[33] Zhong Y, Liu J, Wu X, Guguchia Z, Yin J X, Mine A, Li Y, Najafzadeh S, Das D, Mielke Ⅲ C, Khasanov R, Luetkens H, Suzuki T, Liu K, Han X, Kondo T, Hu J, Shin S, Wang Z, Shi X, Yao Y and Okazaki K 2023 Nature 617 488
[34] Luo Y, Han Y, Liu J, Chen H, Huang Z, Huai L, Li H, Wang B, Shen J, Ding S, Li Z, Peng S, Wei Z, Miao Y, Sun X, Ou Z, Xiang Z, Hashimoto M, Lu D, Yao Y, Yang H, Chen X, Gao H J, Qiao Z, Wang Z and He J 2023 Nat. Commun. 14 3819
[35] Roppongi M, Ishihara K, Tanaka Y, Ogawa K, Okada K, Liu S, Mukasa K, Mizukami Y, Uwatoko Y, Grasset R, Konczykowski M, Ortiz B R, Wilson S D, Hashimoto K and Shibauchi T 2023 Nat. Commu. 14 667
[36] Wang Y, Kreisel A, Hirschfeld P J and Mishra V 2013 Phys. Rev. B 87 094504
[37] Mizukami Y, Konczykowski M, Kawamoto Y, Kurata S, Kasahara S, Hashimoto K, Mishra V, Kreisel A, Wang Y, Hirschfeld P J, Matsuda Y and Shibauchi T 2014 Nat. Commun. 5 5657
[38] Mizukami Y, Konczykowski M, Matsuura K, Watashige T, Kasahara S, Matsuda Y and Shibauchi T 2017 J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 86 083706
[39] Naidyuk Yu G and Yanson I K 2003 arXiv: physics/0312016
[40] Daghero D and Gonnelli R S 2010 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 23 043001
[41] Mondal M, Joshi B, Kumar S, Kamlapure A, Ganguli S C, Thamizhavel A, Mandal S S, Ramakrishnan S and Raychaudhuri P 2012 Phys. Rev. B 86 094520
[42] Gonnelli R S, Daghero D, Ummarino G A, Stepanov V A, Jun J, Kazakov S M and Karpinski J 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 247004
[43] Deutscher G 2005 Rev. Mod. Phys. 77 109
[44] Zhao C C, Wang L S, Xia W, et al. 2024 Chin. Phys. Lett. 41 127303
[45] Iavarone M, Karapetrov G, Koshelev A E, Kwok W K, Crabtree G W, Hinks D G, Kang W N, Choi E M, Kim H J, Kim H J and Lee S I 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett. 89 187002
[46] Szabo P, Samuely P, Ka cmar ček J, Klein T, Marcus J, Fruchart D, Miraglia S, Marcenat C and Jansen A G M 2001 Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 137005
[47] Wang S, Feng X L, Fang J Z, et al. 2024 arxiv:2405.12592 |
| No Suggested Reading articles found! |
|
|
Viewed |
|
|
|
Full text
|
|
|
|
|
Abstract
|
|
|
|
|
Cited |
|
|
|
|
Altmetric
|
|
blogs
Facebook pages
Wikipedia page
Google+ users
|
Online attention
Altmetric calculates a score based on the online attention an article receives. Each coloured thread in the circle represents a different type of online attention. The number in the centre is the Altmetric score. Social media and mainstream news media are the main sources that calculate the score. Reference managers such as Mendeley are also tracked but do not contribute to the score. Older articles often score higher because they have had more time to get noticed. To account for this, Altmetric has included the context data for other articles of a similar age.
View more on Altmetrics
|
|
|
