Vortex dynamics in the two-dimensional BCS-BEC crossover

TL;DR

This paper investigates vortex dynamics in the BCS-BEC crossover using Hall effect measurements in LixZrNCl, revealing enhanced Hall angles and providing insights into vortex behavior in charge-neutral superconductor systems.

Contribution

It presents the first systematic study of vortex dynamics across the BCS-BEC crossover in a gate-controlled superconductor, supported by phenomenological modeling.

Findings

Enhanced Hall angle approaching the BCS-BEC crossover

Qualitative agreement with time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory

LixZrNCl's electronic structure enables comprehensive vortex analysis

Abstract

The Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) condensation and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) are the two limiting ground states of paired Fermion systems, and the crossover between these two limits has been a source of excitement for both fields of high temperature superconductivity and cold atom superfluidity. For superconductors, ultra-low doping systems like graphene and LixZrNCl successfully approached the crossover starting from the BCS-side. These superconductors offer new opportunities to clarify the nature of charged-particles transport towards the BEC regime. Here we report the study of vortex dynamics within the crossover using their Hall effect as a probe in LixZrNCl. We observed a systematic enhancement of the Hall angle towards the BCS-BEC crossover, which was qualitatively reproduced by the phenomenological time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) theory. LixZrNCl exhibits a band structure free from various electronic instabilities, allowing us to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the vortex Hall effect and thereby propose a global picture of vortex dynamics within the crossover. These results demonstrate that gate-controlled superconductors are ideal platforms towards investigations of unexplored properties in BEC superconductors.