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Spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking in KTaO3 heterointerface superconductors

Author

Listed:
  • Guanqun Zhang

    (Fudan University)

  • Lijie Wang

    (Fudan University)

  • Jinghui Wang

    (ShanghaiTech University)

  • Guoan Li

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Guangyi Huang

    (Fudan University)

  • Guang Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Huanyi Xue

    (Fudan University)

  • Zhongfeng Ning

    (Fudan University)

  • Yueshen Wu

    (ShanghaiTech University)

  • Jin-Peng Xu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yanru Song

    (ShanghaiTech University)

  • Zhenghua An

    (Fudan University
    Fudan University)

  • Changlin Zheng

    (Fudan University)

  • Jie Shen

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory)

  • Jun Li

    (ShanghaiTech University)

  • Yan Chen

    (Fudan University)

  • Wei Li

    (Fudan University)

Abstract

Broken symmetries play a fundamental role in superconductivity and influence many of its properties in a profound way. Understanding these symmetry breaking states is essential to elucidate the various exotic quantum behaviors in non-trivial superconductors. Here, we report an experimental observation of spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking of superconductivity at the heterointerface of amorphous (a)-YAlO3/KTaO3(111) with a superconducting transition temperature of 1.86 K. Both the magnetoresistance and superconducting critical field in an in-plane field manifest striking twofold symmetric oscillations deep inside the superconducting state, whereas the anisotropy vanishes in the normal state, demonstrating that it is an intrinsic property of the superconducting phase. We attribute this behavior to the mixed-parity superconducting state, which is an admixture of s-wave and p-wave pairing components induced by strong spin-orbit coupling inherent to inversion symmetry breaking at the heterointerface of a-YAlO3/KTaO3. Our work suggests an unconventional nature of the underlying pairing interaction in the KTaO3 heterointerface superconductors, and brings a new broad of perspective on understanding non-trivial superconducting properties at the artificial heterointerfaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Guanqun Zhang & Lijie Wang & Jinghui Wang & Guoan Li & Guangyi Huang & Guang Yang & Huanyi Xue & Zhongfeng Ning & Yueshen Wu & Jin-Peng Xu & Yanru Song & Zhenghua An & Changlin Zheng & Jie Shen & Jun , 2023. "Spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking in KTaO3 heterointerface superconductors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-38759-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38759-0
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    1. Zhuoyu Chen & Adrian G. Swartz & Hyeok Yoon & Hisashi Inoue & Tyler A. Merz & Di Lu & Yanwu Xie & Hongtao Yuan & Yasuyuki Hikita & Srinivas Raghu & Harold Y. Hwang, 2018. "Carrier density and disorder tuned superconductor-metal transition in a two-dimensional electron system," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-6, December.
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    4. Zhuoyu Chen & Adrian G. Swartz & Hyeok Yoon & Hisashi Inoue & Tyler A. Merz & Di Lu & Yanwu Xie & Hongtao Yuan & Yasuyuki Hikita & Srinivas Raghu & Harold Y. Hwang, 2018. "Publisher Correction: Carrier density and disorder tuned superconductor-metal transition in a two-dimensional electron system," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-1, December.
    5. Neha Wadehra & Ruchi Tomar & Rahul Mahavir Varma & R. K. Gopal & Yogesh Singh & Sushanta Dattagupta & S. Chakraverty, 2020. "Planar Hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresistance in polar-polar interface of LaVO3-KTaO3 with strong spin-orbit coupling," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-7, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Xu Zhang & Tongshuai Zhu & Shuai Zhang & Zhongqiang Chen & Anke Song & Chong Zhang & Rongzheng Gao & Wei Niu & Yequan Chen & Fucong Fei & Yilin Tai & Guoan Li & Binghui Ge & Wenkai Lou & Jie Shen & Ha, 2024. "Light-induced giant enhancement of nonreciprocal transport at KTaO3-based interfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.

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