Pressure-Tuning Superconductivity in Noncentrosymmetric Topological Materials ZrRuAs

TL;DR

This study explores how applying pressure affects the superconducting and topological properties of ZrRuAs, revealing enhanced Tc and persistent nontrivial topology, which could inform future topological superconductor research.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic analysis of pressure effects on ZrRuAs's superconductivity and topology, demonstrating tunable Tc and robust topological states under pressure.

Findings

Superconductivity with Tc ~ 7.74 K at ambient pressure.

Tc increases to 7.93 K at 2.1 GPa, then decreases.

Nontrivial topology persists up to high pressure.

Abstract

Recently, the hexagonal phase of ternary transition metal pnictides TT'X (T = Zr, Hf; T'= Ru; X = P, As), which are well-known noncentrosymmetric superconductors, were predicted to host nontrivial bulk topology. In this work, we systematically investigate the electronic responses of ZrRuAs to external pressure. At ambient pressure, ZrRuAs show superconductivity with Tc ~ 7.74 K, while a large upper critical field ~ 13.03 T is obtained for ZrRuAs, which is comparable to the weak-coupling Pauli limit. The resistivity of ZrRuAs exhibits a non-monotonic evolution with increasing pressure. The superconducting transition temperature Tc increases with applied pressure and reaches a maximum value of 7.93 K at 2.1 GPa, followed by a decrease. The nontrivial topology is robust and persists up to the high-pressure regime. Considering both robust superconductivity and intriguing topology in this material, our results could contribute to studies of the interplay between topological electronic states and superconductivity.