Exceptional Superconducting Interfaces between Graphene and Atomic Chains in A15-MoRe

Hiroto Ogura; Yuto Tsukidate; Shun Kondo; Zhuoqun Li; Natsuki Sasaki; Tsunenobu Sato; Azusa Utsumi; Tomohiro Otsuka; Mitsuhiro Saito; Kazutoshi Inoue; Takashi Taniguchi; Kenji Watanabe; Yuichi Ikuhara; Toshiaki Kato

arXiv · 2610.39694

Exceptional Superconducting Interfaces between Graphene and Atomic Chains in A15-MoRe

Hiroto Ogura·Yuto Tsukidate·Shun Kondo·Zhuoqun Li·Natsuki Sasaki·Tsunenobu Sato·Azusa Utsumi·Tomohiro Otsuka·Mitsuhiro Saito·Kazutoshi Inoue·Takashi Taniguchi·Kenji Watanabe·Yuichi Ikuhara·Toshiaki Kato

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Abstract

Realizing highly transparent and magnetic-field-resilient superconducting contacts is a critical bottleneck for the advancement of two-dimensional (2D) quantum devices. Molybdenum-rhenium (MoRe) alloys have been empirically favored as they uniquely yield ballistic, highly transparent contacts to graphene that survive in high-magnetic-field regimes; however, the microscopic origin of this anomalous transparency has remained a long-standing puzzle. Here, we resolve this paradox by revealing that pristine graphene/MoRe interfaces are governed by the classical A15 superconducting phase. Combining low-temperature transport, X-ray diffraction, and atomic-resolution electron microscopy, we demonstrate that as-deposited MoRe spontaneously forms the A15 phase in direct contact with graphene, whereas thermal annealing triggers a phase transition to a hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure that severely degrades the Josephson transparency. Crucially, the one-dimensional (1D) transition-metal atomic chains unique to the A15 structure exhibit a near-perfect lattice match (mismatch < 1%) with graphene edges. First-principles calculations further prove that the d-orbitals of these historically renowned 1D chains possibly hybridize with graphene's Dirac cone near the K point. These findings not only uncover the structural and electronic origins of optimal MoRe contacts but also establish A15-phase superconductors as a geometrically ideal, universal platform for realizing robust quantum electronics based on 2D materials.

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Hiroto Ogura, Yuto Tsukidate, Shun Kondo, Zhuoqun Li, Natsuki Sasaki, Tsunenobu Sato, Azusa Utsumi, Tomohiro Otsuka, Mitsuhiro Saito, Kazutoshi Inoue, Takashi Taniguchi, Kenji Watanabe, Yuichi Ikuhara, Toshiaki Kato. 2026-10-29. Exceptional Superconducting Interfaces between Graphene and Atomic Chains in A15-MoRe. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.39694

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