Interface induced Zeeman-protected superconductivity in ultrathin crystalline lead films

TL;DR

This study demonstrates Zeeman-protected superconductivity in ultrathin crystalline lead films, where interface-induced Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction enables critical fields to surpass the Pauli limit, revealing new physics in 2D superconductors.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of interface-induced Zeeman-protected superconductivity in ultrathin Pb films, highlighting the role of interface engineering in 2D superconductors.

Findings

Large in-plane critical field exceeds Pauli limit

Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction is induced at the interface

Superconductivity is protected by Zeeman-type SOI due to symmetry breaking

Abstract

Two dimensional (2D) superconducting systems are of great importance to exploring exotic quantum physics. Recent development of fabrication techniques stimulates the studies of high quality single crystalline 2D superconductors, where intrinsic properties give rise to unprecedented physical phenomena. Here we report the observation of Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction protected superconductivity (Zeeman-protected superconductivity) in 4 monolayer (ML) to 6 ML crystalline Pb films grown on striped incommensurate (SIC) Pb layers on Si(111) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Anomalous large in-plane critical field far beyond the Pauli limit is detected, which can be attributed to the Zeeman-protected superconductivity due to the in-plane inversion symmetry breaking at the interface. Our work demonstrates that in superconducting heterostructures the interface can induce Zeeman-type spin-orbit interaction (SOI) and modulate the superconductivity.