Coexistence of bulk superconductivity and charge density wave in CuxZrTe3

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the coexistence of bulk superconductivity and charge density wave in Cu-intercalated ZrTe3 crystals, revealing how Cu intercalation affects their structural and electronic properties.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the coexistence mechanism of superconductivity and CDW in quasi-two-dimensional materials through Cu intercalation.

Findings

Superconductivity with Tc = 3.8 K observed in Cu-intercalated ZrTe3.

Cu intercalation expands the unit cell and partially fills the CDW energy gap.

Electron-electron Umklapp scattering dominates the resistivity in both materials.

Abstract

We report coexistence of bulk superconductivity and charge density wave (CDW) with superconducting critical temperature Tc = 3.8 K in Cu intercalated quasi-two-dimensional crystals of ZrTe3. The Cu intercalation results in the expansion of the unit cell orthogonal to the Zr-Zr metal chains (b - axis) and partial filling of CDW energy bandgap without obvious shift of CDW transition temperature. b - axis resistivity ?Rhob is not related to CDW, and its dominant scattering mechanism for both ZrTe3 and Cu0.05ZrTe3 is the electron - electron Umklapp scattering.