Emergent superconductivity at the interface of the Dirac semimetal ZrTe₂ and antiferromagnet FeTe

We investigate emergent superconductivity at the interface of two non-superconducting materials, the Dirac semimetal ZrTe₂ and the antiferromagnetic iron chalcogenide FeTe, grown using molecular beam epitaxy. We show from electrical transport measurements that the superconductivity arises at the interface below temperature 12K and show the co-existence of antiferromagnetism as well. We also investigate the growth conditions under which superconductivity arises and find that Te-deficiency during the growth of the ZrTe₂ plays a key role in the emergence of superconductivity. With strong spin-orbit coupling in ZrTe₂, these epitaxial heterostructures provide a new platform to explore the interplay of topology and superconductivity.