Prediction of new superconducting bilayers heterostructures using quantum confinement and proximity effects

TL;DR

This paper theoretically explores how quantum confinement and proximity effects in metallic bilayer heterostructures can significantly enhance superconductivity, enabling emergent superconductivity in materials that are weakly superconducting or nonsuperconducting in bulk.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized Eliashberg framework to analyze the interplay of quantum confinement and proximity effects, predicting enhanced superconductivity in specific bilayer configurations.

Findings

Superconductivity can be induced in nonsuperconducting bilayers.

Quantum confinement and proximity effects synergistically increase critical temperature.

Potential for engineering new superconducting materials through heterostructure design.

Abstract

A central challenge in nanoscale superconductivity is to understand and exploit the combined action of quantum confinement and proximity effects in experimentally realistic metallic heterostructures. We theoretically investigate superconducting bilayer heterostructures in which these two effects coexist. Using a generalized Eliashberg framework that incorporates both quantum confinement and proximity coupling, we show that their interplay can substantially enhance the superconducting critical temperature. In particular, the theory predicts superconductivity in selected bilayers whose constituent materials are nonsuperconducting or only weakly superconducting in the bulk. These results identify quantum-confined bilayers as a promising route to engineering emergent superconductivity in metallic heterostructures.