Charge-4e and charge-6e flux quantization and higher charge superconductivity in kagome superconductor ring devices
POSTER
Abstract
Despite of the various forms of superconductivity, conventional or unconventional, topologically trivial or nontrivial, the condensation of charge-2e Cooper pairs has remained the origin and character of all superconductivity, as described by the BCS theory. In the studies of superconductivity, the flux quantization is a key indication of electron pairing in superconductors. For example, the well-known h/2e flux quantization is considered strong evidence for the existence of the charge-2e, two-electron Cooper pairs. Here we report evidence for multi-charge flux quantization in mesoscopic ring devices fabricated using the transition-metal kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5. We perform systematic magneto-transport measurements and observe unprecedented quantization of magnetic flux in units of h/4e and h/6e in magnetoresistance oscillations. Specifically, at low temperatures, magnetoresistance oscillations with period h/2e are detected, as expected from the flux quantization for charge-2e superconductivity. We find that the h/2e oscillations are suppressed and replaced by resistance oscillations with h/4e periodicity when temperature is increased. Increasing the temperature further suppresses the h/4e oscillations and robust resistance oscillations with h/6e periodicity emerge as evidence for charge-6e flux quantization. Our observations provide the first experimental evidence for the existence of multi-charge flux quanta and emergent quantum matter exhibiting higher-charge superconductivity in the strongly fluctuating region above the charge-2e Cooper pair condensate, revealing new insights into the intertwined and vestigial electronic order in kagome superconductors.
Publication: Jun Ge#, Pinyuan Wang#, Ying Xing, Qiangwei Yin, Anqi Wang, Jie Shen, Hechang Lei, Ziqiang Wang, and Jian Wang*. "Charge-4e and Charge-6e Flux Quantization and Higher Charge Superconductivity in Kagome Superconductor Ring Devices" Physical Review X 14, 021025 (2024) (arXiv: 2201.10352). (The paper was selected as "Featured in Physics" by the editor of Physical Review X, with an accompanying VIEWPOINT article entitled "Cooper Pairs Pair Up in a Kagome Metal" (link to the accompanying paper: https://physics.aps.org/articles/v17/80).
Presenters
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Jun Ge
Peking University
Authors
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Jun Ge
Peking University