Gate-tuned Superconductor-Insulator transition in (Li,Fe)OHFeSe

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a gate-tuned superconductor-insulator transition in (Li,Fe)OHFeSe, revealing a universal feature of unconventional superconductors and enabling exploration of new quantum states via charge doping.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of a superconductor-insulator transition induced by ionic gating in an iron-based superconductor, expanding understanding of phase diagrams and underlying physics.

Findings

Superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is enhanced up to 43 K with electron doping.

A superconductor-insulator transition occurs at optimal doping levels.

The phase diagram shows a universal superconductor-insulator transition feature.

Abstract

The antiferromagnetic(AFM) insulator-superconductor transition has been always a center of interest in the underlying physics of unconventional superconductors. The quantum phase transition between Mott insulator with AFM and superconductor can be induced by doping charge carriers in high-Tc cuprate superconductors. For the best characterized organic superconductors of k-(BEDT-TTF)2X (X=anion), a first order transition between AFM insulator and superconductor can be tuned by applied external pressure or chemical pressure. Also, the superconducting state can be directly developed from AFM insulator by application of pressure in Cs3C60. The resemblance of these phase diagrams hints a universal mechanism governing the unconventional superconductivity in close proximity to AFM insulators. However, the superconductivity in iron-based high-Tc superconductors evolves from an AFM bad metal by doping charge carriers, and no superconductor-insulator transition has been observed so far. Here, we report a first-order transition from superconductor to insulator with a strong charge doping induced by ionic gating in the thin flakes of single crystal (Li,Fe)OHFeSe. The Tc is continuously enhanced with electron doping by ionic gating up to a maximum Tc of 43 K, and a striking superconductor-insulator transition occurs just at the verge of optimal doping with highest Tc. A novel phase diagram of temperature-gating voltage with the superconductor-insulator transition is mapped out, indicating that the superconductor -insulator transition is a common feature for unconventional superconductivity. These results help to uncover the underlying physics of iron-based superconductivity as well as the universal mechanism of high-Tc superconductivity. Our finding also suggests that the gate-controlled strong charge doping makes it possible to explore novel states of matter in a way beyond traditional methods.