Superconductivity in CuxBi2Se3 and its implications for pairing in the undoped topological insulator

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of superconductivity in copper-intercalated Bi2Se3, a topological insulator, at 3.8 K, suggesting possible Cooper pairing and implications for topological quantum devices.

Contribution

It demonstrates that copper intercalation induces superconductivity in Bi2Se3, revealing new insights into pairing mechanisms in topological insulators.

Findings

Superconductivity observed at 3.8 K in CuxBi2Se3

Copper intercalation leads to electron doping (~2x10^20cm^-3)

Implications for topological insulator physics and device applications

Abstract

Bi2Se3 is one of a handful of known topological insulators. Here we show that copper intercalation in the van der Waals gaps between the Bi2Se3 layers, yielding an electron concentration of ~ 2 x 10^20cm-3, results in superconductivity at 3.8 K in CuxBi2Se3 for x between 0.12 and 0.15. This demonstrates that Cooper pairing is possible in Bi2Se3 at accessible temperatures, with implications for study of the physics of topological insulators and potential devices.