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Evidence for orbital Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in the bulk limit of 2H-NbSe2

Author

Listed:
  • Chang-woo Cho

    (Clear Water Bay
    Chungnam National University)

  • Timothée T. Lortz

    (Clear Water Bay)

  • Kwan To Lo

    (Clear Water Bay)

  • Cheuk Yin Ng

    (Clear Water Bay)

  • Shek Hei Chui

    (Clear Water Bay)

  • Abdel Rahman Allan

    (P. O. Box)

  • Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiez

    (P. O. Box
    Uppsala University)

  • Jaemun Park

    (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST))

  • Beopgil Cho

    (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST))

  • Keeseong Park

    (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST))

  • Noah F. Q. Yuan

    (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

  • Rolf Lortz

    (Clear Water Bay
    LNCMI)

Abstract

The Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state is an unusual superconducting phase that survives beyond the Pauli paramagnetic limit through spatial modulation of the order parameter. An even more exotic variant—the orbital FFLO state—was recently reported in thin flakes of 2H-NbSe2, involving the interplay of Ising spin-orbit coupling and orbital pair breaking. Here, we report thermodynamic signatures consistent with an orbital FFLO state in bulk 2H-NbSe2, based on high-resolution magnetization and torque measurements under strictly parallel to the NbSe2 basal plane. In the magnetic phase diagram, a crossover to a first-order transition appears above 3 T and disappears with slight field misalignment, indicating field-angle dependent Pauli-limited behavior. Additionally, we observe a reversible step-like anomaly within the superconducting state, and a pronounced six-fold in-plane modulation of the upper critical field above this phase transition. These results suggest that the orbital FFLO state is likely realized even in the bulk limit of 2H-NbSe2.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang-woo Cho & Timothée T. Lortz & Kwan To Lo & Cheuk Yin Ng & Shek Hei Chui & Abdel Rahman Allan & Mahmoud Abdel-Hafiez & Jaemun Park & Beopgil Cho & Keeseong Park & Noah F. Q. Yuan & Rolf Lortz, 2025. "Evidence for orbital Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state in the bulk limit of 2H-NbSe2," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-62223-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-62223-w
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