Observation of Coexisting Weak Localization and Superconducting Fluctuations in Strained Sn<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub>In<sub><i>x</i></sub>Te Thin Films.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35007089.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c04370.
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Abstract
Topological superconductors have attracted tremendous excitement as they are predicted to host Majorana zero modes that can be utilized for topological quantum computing. Candidate topological superconductor Sn<sub>1-<i>x</i></sub>In<sub><i>x</i></sub>Te thin films (0 < <i>x</i> < 0.3) grown by molecular beam epitaxy and strained in the (111) plane are shown to host quantum interference effects in the conductivity coexisting with superconducting fluctuations above the critical temperature <i>T</i><sub>c</sub>. An analysis of the normal state magnetoresistance reveals these effects. A crossover from weak antilocalization to localization is consistently observed in superconducting samples, indicating that superconductivity originates dominantly from charge carriers occupying trivial states that may be strongly spin-orbit split. A large enhancement of the conductivity is observed above <i>T</i><sub>c</sub>, indicating the presence of superconducting fluctuations. Our results motivate a re-examination of the debated pairing symmetry of this material when subjected to quantum confinement and lattice strain.