Pressure-induced superconductivity in TiGeTe$_{6}$

TL;DR

This study reports the discovery of pressure-induced superconductivity in TiGeTe$_{6}$, with transition temperatures increasing under high pressure, revealing new superconducting phases in layered transition-metal chalcogenides.

Contribution

First observation of pressure-induced superconductivity in TiGeTe$_{6}$, demonstrating tunable superconducting transition temperatures up to 8.1 K under high pressure.

Findings

Superconductivity appears at around 13 GPa with multiple transitions.

Transition temperature increases with pressure, reaching 8.1 K at 71 GPa.

Pressure induces metallization and superconductivity in TiGeTe$_{6}$.

Abstract

Layered ternary transition-metal chalcogenides have been focused as a vein of exploration for superconductors. In this study, TiGeTe$_{6}$ single crystals were synthesized and characterized by structural and valence state analyses and electrical transport measurements. The transport properties were measured under various pressures up to 71 GPa. The activation energy gets smaller as the applied pressure increases, and a signature of a pressure-induced metallization was observed under around 8.4 GPa. Under 13 GPa, pressure-induced superconductivity was discovered in this compound for the first time, with successive drops at 3 K and 6 K in the resistance, indicating the presence of multiple superconducting transitions. The superconducting transition temperature kept increasing as we further applied the pressure to the TiGeTe$_{6}$ single crystal in the performed pressure range, reaching as high as 8.1 K under 71 GPa.