Odd-Parity Pairing and Topological Superconductivity in a Strongly Spin-Orbit Coupled Semiconductor

Abstract

The existence of topological superconductors preserving time-reversal symmetry was recently predicted, and they are expected to provide a solid-state realization of itinerant massless Majorana fermions and a route to topological quantum computation. Their first concrete example, CuxBi2Se3, was discovered last year, but the search for new materials has so far been hindered by the lack of guiding principle. Here, we report point-contact spectroscopy experiments showing that the low-carrier-density superconductor Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te is accompanied with surface Andreev bound states which, with the help of theoretical analysis, give evidence for odd-parity pairing and topological superconductivity. The present and previous finding of topological superconductivity in Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te and CuxBi2Se3 demonstrates that odd-parity pairing favored by strong spin-orbit coupling is a common underlying mechanism for materializing topological superconductivity.

5 pages, 3 figures (paper proper) + 2 pages, 1 figure (supplemental material); final version accepted for publication in PRL; theoretical part has been significantly expanded

References in corpus (24)

• Topological Insulators
• Topological insulators and superconductors
• Topological Insulators in Three Dimensions
• Paired states of fermions in two dimensions with breaking of parity and time-reversal symmetries, and the fractional quantum Hall effect
• Classification of topological insulators and superconductors in three spatial dimensions
• New directions in the pursuit of Majorana fermions in solid state systems
• Topological invariants of time-reversal-invariant band structures
• Topological Crystalline Insulators in the SnTe Material Class
• Superconductivity in CuxBi2Se3 and its implications for pairing in the undoped topological insulator
• Odd-Parity Topological Superconductors: Theory and Application to Cu${}_x$Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Topological Superconductivity and Superfluidity
• Topological Superconductivity in CuxBi2Se3
• Evaluation of Spin-Triplet Superconductivity in Sr2RuO4
• Topological odd-parity superconductors
• Probing multiband superconductivity by point-contact spectroscopy
• The role of critical current on point contact Andreev Reflection spectrum between a normal metal and a superconductor
• Majorana Fermions and Exotic Surface Andreev Bound States in Topological Superconductors: Application to CuxBi2Se3
• Edge states of Sr${}_2$RuO${}_4$ detected by in-plane tunneling spectroscopy
• Evidence for charge Kondo effect in superconducting Tl-doped PbTe
• Electrochemical synthesis and superconducting phase diagram of Cu_xBi2Se3
• Tunneling Conductance and Surface States Transition in Superconducting Topological Insulators
• Enhanced superconducting pairing interaction in indium-doped tin telluride
• Surface spectral function in the superconducting state of a topological insulator
• Robustness of odd-parity superconductivity with spin-orbit locking against disorder

Cited by in corpus (128)

• Topological Insulator Materials
• Topological superconductors: a review
• Dirac materials
• Topological Crystalline Insulators and Topological Superconductors: From Concepts to Materials
• A topological crystalline insulator (TCI) phase via topological phase transition and crystalline mirror symmetry
• Majorana Fermions and Topology in Superconductors
• Inducing time reversal invariant topological superconductivity and fermion parity pumping in quantum wires
• Transport in two-dimensional topological materials: recent developments in experiment and theory
• Topologically protected surface states in a centrosymmetric superconductor beta-PdBi2
• Symmetry Protected Topological Superfluids and Superconductors --- From the Basics to ${}^3$He ---
• Unusual nature of fully-gapped superconductivity in In-doped SnTe
• Topological Insulators with Commensurate Antiferromagnetism
• Half-Heusler topological insulators
• Fermiology of Strongly Spin-Orbit Coupled Superconductor Sn1-xInxTe and its Implication to Topological Superconductivity
• Odd-parity superconductivity from phonon-mediated pairing: Application to Cu${}_x$Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$
• Optimizing the superconducting transition temperature and upper critical field of Sn(1-x)In(x)Te
• Superconducting properties of the In substituted Topological Crystalline Insulator, SnTe
• Superconductivity in Tl_{0.6}Bi_{2}Te_{3} Derived from a Topological Insulator
• Evolution of density of states and spin-resolved "checkerboard" pattern associated with Majorana bound state
• A comprehensive review on topological superconducting materials and interfaces
• Superconductivity in doped Dirac semimetals
• Superconductivity with two-fold symmetry in topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3
• Turning a Band Insulator Into an Exotic Superconductor
• Exploring Topological Superconductivity in Topological Materials
• A new superconductor derived from topological insulator heterostructure
• Dirac-Fermion-Induced Parity Mixing in Superconducting Topological Insulators
• Drive the Dirac Electrons into Cooper Pairs in SrxBi2Se3
• Finite-size-effect-induced topological phase transition in a topological crystalline insulator
• Revealing surface states in In-doped SnTe superconducting nanoplates with low bulk mobility
• Pressure-induced Superconductivity in the Three-component Fermion Topological Semimetal Molybdenum Phosphide
• Axionic superconductivity in three dimensional doped narrow gap semiconductors
• Tuning the Dirac point to the Fermi level in the ternary topological insulator (Bi${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_x$)${}_2$Te${}_3$
• Superconducting doped topological materials
• Observation of triplet superconductivity in CoSi${}_2$/TiSi${}_2$ heterostructures
• Topological superconducting states in monolayer FeSe/SrTiO${}_3$
• Pairing from dynamically screened Coulomb repulsion in bismuth
• Surface electronic state of superconducting topological crystalline insulator
• Global phase diagram of a three dimensional dirty topological superconductor
• Fully gapped superconductivity in the topological superconductor beta-PdBi2
• Intrinsic first and higher-order topological superconductivity in a doped topological insulator
• Weak-link Josephson Junctions Made from Topological Crystalline Insulators
• Superconductivity induced by In substitution into the topological crystalline insulator Pb(0.5)Sn(0.5)Te
• Signatures of Topological Superconductivity in Bulk Insulating Topological Insulator BiSbTe${}_{1.25}$Se${}_{1.75}$ in Proximity with Superconducting NbSe${}_2$
• Studies of the superconducting properties of Sn1-xInxTe (x=0.38 to 0.45) using muon-spin spectroscopy
• Indium substitution effect on the topological crystalline insulator family (Pb${}_{1-x}$Sn${}_x$)${}_{1-y}$In${}_y$Te: Topological and superconducting properties
• Possible structural origin of superconductivity in Sr-doped Bi2Se3
• Multiband s-wave topological superconductors: role of dimensionality and magnetic field response
• Observation of surface states on heavily indium doped SnTe(111), a superconducting topological crystalline insulator
• Spin-polarized Majorana Bound States inside a Vortex Core in Topological Superconductors
• Majorana multipole response of topological superconductors
• Probing the superconducting gap symmetry of $\alpha$-PdBi${}_2$: A penetration depth study
• Noncrystalline topological superconductors
• Electronic properties of SnTe-class topological crystalline insulator materials
• Experimental search for the origin of low-energy modes in topological materials
• Evidence for bulk nodal loops and universality of Dirac-node arc surface states in ZrGeXc (Xc = S, Se, Te)
• Evolution of the topologically protected surface states in superconductor $\beta$-Bi${}_2$Pd from the three-dimensional to the two-dimensional limit
• Superuniversality of topological quantum phase transition and global phase diagram of dirty topological systems in three dimensions
• Fully gapped superconductivity in In-doped topological crystalline insulator Pb${}_{0.5}$Sn${}_{0.5}$Te
• Evolution of electronic states and emergence of superconductivity in the polar semiconductor GeTe by doping valence-skipping In
• Electronic Band Structure and Superconducting Properties of SnAs
• Tri-Dirac Surface Modes in Topological Superconductors
• $\beta$-RhPb${}_2$, a topological superconductor candidate
• Observation of Two-Dimensional Bulk Electronic States in a Superconducting Topological Insulator Heterostructure Cux(PbSe)5(Bi2Se3)6: Implications for Unconventional Superconductivity
• Disordered fermionic quantum critical points
• Tailoring band-structure and band-filling in a simple cubic (IV, III) - VI superconductor
• Corner states, hinge states and Majorana modes in SnTe nanowires
• Superconductivity, pairing symmetry, and disorder in the doped topological insulator Sn${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$Te for x $\ge$ 0.10
• Double Majorana vortex zero modes in superconducting topological crystalline insulators with surface rotation anomaly
• Fully Gapped s-wave-like Superconducting State and Electronic Structures in the Ir0.95Pd0.05Te2 Single Crystals with Strong Spin-orbital Coupling
• Dirac State in a Centrosymmetric Superconductor alpha-PdBi2
• Electron and hole contributions to normal-state transport in the superconducting system Sn${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$Te
• Topological superconductivity and large spin Hall effect in the kagome family Ti6X4 (X = Bi, Sb, Pb, Tl, In)
• Doping-induced superconductivity in the topological semimetal Mo5Si3
• Spin-singlet superconductivity in doped topological crystalline insulator Sn_{0.96}In_{0.04}Te
• Surface states and local spin susceptibility in doped three-dimensional topological insulators with odd-parity superconducting pairing symmetry
• Supercondutivity in SnSb with natural superlattice structure
• Superconducting Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te Nanoplates
• Majorana multipole response: General theory and application to wallpaper groups
• $Z_2$ index for gapless fermionic modes in the vortex core of three dimensional paired Dirac fermions
• Electronic structure and superconductivity of the non-centrosymmetric Sn${}_4$As${}_3$
• Geometry-induced topological superconductivity
• Magnetic Response of Majorana Kramers Pairs Protected by Z2 Invariants
• Magnetic response of Majorana Kramers pairs with an order-two symmetry
• Review: Observation of Majorana Bound States at a Free Surface of ${}^3$He-B
• Strong-Coupling Superconductivity with $T_c$ $\sim$ 10.8 K Induced by P Doping in the Topological Semimetal Mo${}_5$Si${}_3$
• The effect of interorbital scattering on superconductivity in doped Dirac materials
• Unusual phonon density of states and response to the superconducting transition in the In-doped topological crystalline insulator Pb${}_{0.5}$Sn${}_{0.5}$Te
• Single branch of chiral Majorana modes from doubly degenerate Fermi surfaces
• Effective low energy theory for surface Andreev bound states of superconducting phases in generalized Bernevig-Hughes-Zhang models
• Superconducting phase diagram and nontrivial band topology of structurally modulated Sn${}_{1-x}$Sb${}_x$
• Fermiology of possible topological superconductor Tl0.5Bi2Te3 derived from hole-doped topological insulator
• Unconventional pressure dependence of the superfluid density in the nodeless topological superconductor $\alpha$-PdBi${}_2$
• $R$RuB${}_2$ ($R$=Y, Lu), topological superconductor candidates with hourglass-type Dirac ring
• Point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy of candidate topological superconductor Cu0.25Bi2Se3
• Tuning of Carrier Concentration and Superconductivity in High-Entropy-Alloy-Type Metal Telluride (AgSnPbBi)(1-x)/4InxTe
• From local spin nematicity to altermagnets: Footprints of band topology
• Topological superconductivity on the honeycomb lattice: Effect of normal state topology
• Electric Multipoles of Double Majorana Kramers Pairs
• Molecular beam epitaxy of superconducting Sn${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$Te thin films
• Bulk Superconductivity in the Dirac Semimetal TlSb
• Unusual upper critical fields of the topological nodal-line semimetal candidate Sn${}_x$NbSe${}_{2-\delta }$
• Nodeless superconducting gap in the candidate topological superconductor Sn${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$Te for x = 0.7
• Nuclear magnetic relaxation rates of unconventional superconductivity in doped topological insulators
• Full superconducting gap in the candidate topological superconductor In${}_{1-x}$Pb${}_x$Te for x = 0.2
• Engineering topological superconductors using surface atomic-layer/molecule hybrid materials
• Metal-insulator-like transition, superconducting dome and topological electronic structure in Ga-doped Re${}_3$Ge${}_7$
• Superconductivity in Sn${}_{1-x}$In${}_x$Te thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy
• Specific Heat and Electrical Transport Properties of Sn0.8Ag0.2Te Superconductor
• Quasi-localized Impurity State in Doped Topological Crystalline Insulator Sn${}_{0.9}$In${}_{0.1}$Te Probed by ${}^{125}$Te-NMR
• Inverse coherence effects in nuclear magnetic relaxation rates as a sign of topological superconductivity
• Low-Energy Surface States in the Normal State of $\alpha$-PdBi2 Superconductor
• Low-energy phonons and superconductivity in Sn${}_{0.8}$In${}_{0.2}$Te
• Quantized thermal and spin transports of dirty planar topological superconductors
• Low-temperature thermal expansion of the topological material candidates $\beta$-PtBi${}_2$ and $\beta$-Bi${}_2$Pd
• Representation-protected topology of spin-singlet $s$-wave superconductors
• Two-dimensional flat band on the (011) surface of UTe${}_2$: Implication for STM measurements with a superconducting tip
• Superconductivity in doped planar Dirac insulators: A renormalization group study
• Strain tunable electronic ground states in two-dimensional iridate thin films
• Weakly Anisotropic Noncentrosymmetric Superconductors with Radial Line Nodes and Thermodynamical Anomalies
• Superconducting Gap Structures in Wallpaper Fermion Systems
• Superconductivity in three-dimensional interacting doped topological insulators
• Surface states around a vortex in topological superconductors: Intersection of a surface and a vortex
• Possible Topological Superconductivity in a Topological Crystalline Insulator (Pb${}_{1-x}$Sn${}_x$)${}_{1-y}$In${}_y$Te
• Theory of Topological Superconductivity in Doped IV-VI Semiconductors
• Resolving phonon-mediated superconducting pairing symmetries from first-principles calculation
• Unconventional superconductivity from electronic dipole fluctuations
• Binary kagome superconducting candidates hosting topological electronic states
• Double-twisted surface spectrum from hybridized Majorana Kramers pairs and wallpaper fermions