Superconducting contacts to a monolayer semiconductor

TL;DR

This paper reports the development of superconducting VIA contacts to monolayer MoS₂ using MoRe, enabling superconducting hybrid devices with preserved electronic properties and evidence of proximity effects.

Contribution

It introduces a novel superconducting contact method to monolayer semiconductors, demonstrating compatibility with layered materials and potential for hybrid device applications.

Findings

Superconducting VIA contacts to MoS₂ were successfully fabricated.

Evidence of superconducting proximity effect in MoS₂ regions.

High carrier mobility and bandstructure are preserved in the contact regions.

Abstract

We demonstrate superconducting vertical interconnect access (VIA) contacts to a monolayer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS$_2$), a layered semiconductor with highly relevant electronic and optical properties. As a contact material we use MoRe, a superconductor with a high critical magnetic field and high critical temperature. The electron transport is mostly dominated by a single superconductor/normal conductor junction with a clear superconductor gap. In addition, we find MoS$_2$ regions that are strongly coupled to the superconductor, resulting in resonant Andreev tunneling and junction dependent gap characteristics, suggesting a superconducting proximity effect. Magnetoresistance measurements show that the bandstructure and the high intrinsic carrier mobility remain intact in the bulk of the MoS$_2$. This type of VIA contact is applicable to a large variety of layered materials and superconducting contacts, opening up a path to monolayer semiconductors as a platform for superconducting hybrid devices.