Superconducting Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te Nanoplates

TL;DR

This paper reports the first growth of superconducting Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te nanoplates, demonstrating their potential for studying topological superconductivity and Majorana fermions relevant to quantum technology.

Contribution

It introduces a simple vapor transport method to synthesize superconducting Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te nanoplates on Si substrates, enabling further exploration of their topological properties.

Findings

Superconducting nanoplates were successfully grown on Si substrates.

The superconducting transition temperature correlates with carrier density similarly to bulk crystals.

Nanoplates exhibit superconducting properties comparable to bulk Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te.

Abstract

Recently, the search for Majorana fermions has become one of the most prominent subjects in condensed matter physics. This search involves explorations of new materials and hence offers interesting opportunities for chemistry. Theoretically, Majorana fermions may reside in various types of topological superconductor materials, and superconducting Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te, which is a doped topological crystalline insulator, is one of the promising candidates to harbor Majorana fermions. Here, we report the first successful growth of superconducting Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te nanoplates on Si substrates by a simple vapor transport method without employing any catalyst. We observed robust superconducting transitions in those nanoplates after device fabrication and found that the relation between the critical temperature and the carrier density is consistent with that of bulk single crystals, suggesting that the superconducting properties of the nanoplate devices are essentially the same as those of bulk crystals. With the help of nanofabrication, those nanoplates would prove useful for elucidating the potentially topological nature of superconductivity in Sn_{1-x}In_{x}Te to harbor Majorana fermions and thereby contribute to the future quantum technologies.