Signatures of Cooper pair dynamics and quantum-critical superconductivity in tunable carrier bands

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the geometry of Fermi surfaces influences superconductivity, providing evidence that quantum-critical modes and pair kinematics are key to understanding superconductivity in graphene systems.

Contribution

It introduces a method to identify pairing mechanisms through Fermi surface tuning and demonstrates the role of quantum-critical modes in superconductivity in graphene.

Findings

Superconductivity emergence linked to backscattering pair kinematics.

Non-monotonic superconductivity behavior supports quantum-critical pairing.

Tuning Fermi surface geometry can enhance superconductivity.

Abstract

Different superconducting pairing mechanisms are markedly distinct in the underlying Cooper pair kinematics. Pairing interactions mediated by quantum-critical soft modes are dominated by highly collinear processes, falling into two classes: forward scattering and backscattering. In contrast, phonon mechanisms have a generic non-collinear character. We show that the type of kinematics can be identified by examining the evolution of superconductivity when tuning the Fermi surface geometry. We illustrate our approach using recently measured phase diagrams of various graphene systems. Our analysis unambiguously connects the emergence of superconductivity at ``ghost crossings'' of Fermi surfaces in distinct valleys to the pair kinematics of a backscattering type. Together with the observed non-monotonic behavior of superconductivity near its onset (sharp rise followed by a drop), it provides strong support for a particular quantum-critical superconductivity scenario. These findings conclusively settle the long-standing debate on the origin of superconductivity in this system and demonstrate the essential role of quantum-critical modes in superconducting pairing. Moreover, our work highlights the potential of tuning bands via ghost crossings as a promising means of boosting superconductivity.