Pressure-induced Superconductivity in Noncentrosymmetric Weyl Semimetals LaAlX (X = Si and Ge)

Abstract

In topological materials, Dirac fermions can split into two Weyl fermions with opposite chiralities due to the breaking of space inversion symmetry, while in non-centrosymmetric superconductors, novel superconducting electron pairing mechanisms arise because of the antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling. In this work, we report the pressure-introduced superconductivity in a typical noncentrosymmetric Weyl semimetal LaAlX (X=Si and Ge). Superconductivity was observed at around 65 GPa without structural phase transition. A typical dome-shape phase diagram is obtained with the maximum Tc of 2.5 K (2.1 K) for LaAlSi (LaAlGe). Furthermore, the application of pressure does not destroy the nontrivial band topology of LaAlSi up to 80.4 GPa, making such materials as potential candidates for realizing topological superconductivity. Our discovery of superconductivity in LaAlX (X=Si and Ge) will provide critical insight in noncentrosymmetric superconductors and stimulate further study on superconductivity in Weyl semimetals.

arXiv comment15 pages, 5 figures, 1 table

References in corpus (24)

• Maximally localized Wannier functions: Theory and applications
• WannierTools: An open-source software package for novel topological materials
• Majorana Zero Modes and Topological Quantum Computation
• Heavy fermion superconductivity and magnetic order in non-centrosymmetric $CeP{t}_{3}Si$
• An equivalent expression of Z2 Topological Invariant for band insulators using Non-Abelian Berry's connection
• Superconductivity in Weyl Semimetal Candidate MoTe2
• Computing topological invariants without inversion symmetry
• Superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling in non-centrosymmetric materials: a review
• Theoretical prediction of magnetic and noncentrosymmetric Weyl fermion semimetal states in the R-Al-X family of compounds (R=rare earth, Al=aluminium, X=Si, Ge)
• Line nodes in the superconducting gap function of noncentrosymmetric CePt_3Si
• Topological Magnetic Phase in the Candidate Weyl Semimetal CeAlGe
• Pressure-induced semimetal to superconductor transition in a three-dimensional topological material ZrTe5
• Time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity in doped Weyl semimetals
• Multiband superconductivity with unexpected deficiency of nodal quasiparticles in CeCu2Si2
• Charge density wave orders and enhanced superconductivity under pressure in the kagome metal CsV3Sb5
• A new noncollinear ferromagnetic Weyl semimetal with anisotropic anomalous Hall effect
• Single crystal investigation of proposed type-II Weyl semimetal CeAlGe
• Topological quantum phase transition and superconductivity induced by pressure in the bismuth tellurohalide BiTeI
• Superconductivity Induced by High Pressure in Weyl Semimetal TaP
• Topological Electronic States in HfRuP Family Superconductors
• Origin and Large Enhancement of Large Spin Hall Angle in Weyl Semimetals LaAl$X$ ($X$=Si, Ge)
• Suppression of axionic charge density wave and onset of superconductivity in the chiral Weyl semimetal Ta${}_2$Se${}_8$I
• Incommensurate magnetism mediated by Weyl fermions in NdAlSi
• Pressure-induced Superconductivity in dual-topological semimetal Pt2HgSe3

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Quantum oscillations in Noncentrosymmetric Weyl semimetals RAlSi (R = Sm and Ce)