Search arXivSearch

arXiv · 2604.21635

Two-gap to Single-gap Transition and Two-dome-like Superconductivity in Alkali-Metal Intercalated Bilayer PdTe2

Abstract

PdTe2 has been synthesized with controllable thickness down to the monolayer limit. Based on first-principles calculations within the fully anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg framework, this work reveals that alkali-metal intercalation markedly enhances the weak superconductivity of bilayer PdTe2, boosting the transition temperature from 1.4 K to 5.0 -13.5 K and yielding a two-dome-like evolution of Tc. Rubidium intercalation induces the highest Tc of 13.5 K, which can be further increased to 14.5 K under biaxial tensile strain. The strain-dependent evolution of Tc also exhibits a two-dome-like behavior, reflecting the interplay between strain-induced band structure modifications and electron-phonon coupling (EPC). Moreover, a systematic correlation is identified between interlayer interaction and superconducting gap. Lithium intercalation induces a distinct two-gap state, whereas intercalants with larger atomic radii (Na, K, Rb, and Cs) drive the system into a single-gap character. The two-gap to single-gap transition originates from the modulation of interlayer coupling through intercalation-induced interlayer expansion. In addition, pristine and Li/Na-intercalated bilayers exhibit nontrivial band topology, suggesting that layered PdTe2 provides a promising platform for realizing the coexistence of superconductivity and nontrivial topology. These results provide detailed anisotropic insights into EPC and offer viable pathways for enhancing Tc and achieving diverse properties in layered PdTe2 systems.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Yu-Lin Han, Shu-Xiang Qiao, Kai-Yue Jiang, Jie Zhang, Bao-Tian Wang, Ping Zhang, C. S. Ting, Hong-Yan Lu. 2026-04-23. Two-gap to Single-gap Transition and Two-dome-like Superconductivity in Alkali-Metal Intercalated Bilayer PdTe2. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21635

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Superconductivity in MgHCu3 perovskite revisited

We reexamine the crystal structure, electronic structure, lattice dynamics, phonon dispersion, electron-phonon coupling, and superconducting properties of MgHCu3 perovskite using the PBEsol and PBE functionals. This perovskite phase was recently proposed to exhibit superconductivity with the critical superconducting temperature, TC, of 42 K, which falls slightly over the classical 40 K limit for the phonon driven superconductivity. We show that although the crystal and electronic structure of this hypothetical compound are quite robust with respect to the k point mesh and functional used, yet the phonons and phonon related properties are extremely sensitive to the density of the grid chosen as well as functional used for calculations. Correspondingly, the values of the critical superconducting temperature calculated here for different Gaussian broadenings vary in a broad range of ca. 10 to 31 K and they do not exceed the classical limit. We suggest that the properties of this and many other high TC hydrides claimed should be thoroughly scrutinized using a variety of functionals, and benchmarked with experiment, to provide more reliable values of TC.

cond-mat.supr-con

Multigap superconductivity in Ising superconductors: The case of (LaSe)1.14(NbSe2)m misfit layer compounds

Strong spin-orbit coupling and broken inversion symmetry in transition metal dichalcogenides give rise to Ising superconductivity, a spin-protected pairing state first identified in monolayer NbSe$_2$ through in-plane critical fields far exceeding the Pauli limit. More recently, Ising superconductivity has been proposed as a potential route to unconventional and even topological superconductivity in bulk misfit compounds. Here, we investigate the superconducting order parameter of layered misfit compounds composed of alternating transition metal dichalcogenide and rocksalt layers, which host extremely doped, electronically decoupled NbSe$_2$ sheets within a three-dimensional crystal. Using directional scanning tunneling spectroscopy on the misfit superconductors (LaSe)$_{1.14}$(NbSe$_2$) and (LaSe)$_{1.14}$(NbSe$_2$)$_2$, we uncover a strongly anisotropic multigap superconducting state: a fragile gap on the $Γ$-centered Fermi-surface pocket coexists with a robust, intrinsic gap on the K and K$'$ pockets. These features are in quantitative agreement with momentum-resolved gaps $Δ(\mathbf{k})$ obtained from anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg calculations. The marked fragility of the $Γ$-centered gap, combined with the strong sensitivity of the critical temperature to non-magnetic disorder, points to pairing beyond conventional $s$-wave symmetry, potentially involving a topological order parameter. These results establish NbSe$_2$-based misfit compounds as a tunable bulk platform for multigap, unconventional superconductivity, with Ising protection offering a promising route toward topological pairing.

cond-mat.supr-con

Different reconstruction pathways toward superconductivity in TaRhTe4 and TaIrTe4 Weyl semimetals

Pressure can drive Weyl semimetals toward superconductivity through qualitatively distinct reconstructions of their lattices and normal-state electronic structures. Here, we report the first observation of superconductivity in compressed TaRhTe4. This finding enables a direct comparison of the distinct reconstruction pathways leading to superconductivity in TaRhTe4 and the previously studied TaIrTe4, both of which belong to the TaXTe4 (X = Rh, Ir) family of type-II Weyl semimetals. For TaRhTe4, high-pressure electrical-resistance, Hall effect, and magnetoresistance measurements, together with synchrotron X-ray diffraction and first-principles calculations, reveal a superconducting transition that emerges near 20 GPa, with onset Tc increasing to approximately 2.6 K at 65.2 GPa and zero resistance achieved above 63 GPa. The onset of superconductivity coincides with a progressive lattice distortion, a strong suppression of the positive magnetoresistance, and a continuous decrease of the Hall coefficient toward zero. Calculations further show that additional electron-like bands cross the Fermi level (EF) and that N(EF) increases upon compression. This evolution contrasts with TaIrTe4, where the Hall coefficient initially increases before reversing its pressure dependence near the superconducting threshold, while the structural anomaly is confined to a narrower pressure interval. This comparison indicates that superconductivity in the TaXTe4 family is not tied to a unique critical pressure or a single Fermi-surface reconstruction, but can emerge through distinct material-specific pathways once pressure sufficiently reconstructs the low-carrier Weyl-semimetal-derived state into a multiband metallic regime.

cond-mat.supr-con