Screening induced crossover between phonon- and plasmon-mediated pairing in layered superconductors
-
Published:2023-09-25
Issue:4
Volume:10
Page:045031
-
ISSN:2053-1583
-
Container-title:2D Materials
-
language:
-
Short-container-title:2D Mater.
Author:
in’t Veld YORCID,
Katsnelson M IORCID,
Millis A JORCID,
Rösner MORCID
Abstract
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) metals can host gapless plasmonic excitations that strongly couple to electrons and thus may significantly affect superconductivity. To investigate the dynamical interplay of the electron–electron and electron–phonon interactions in the theory of 2D superconductivity, we apply a full momentum- and frequency-dependent one-loop theory treating electron–phonon, electron–plasmon, and phonon–plasmon coupling with the same accuracy. We tune the strength of the Coulomb interaction by varying the external screening
ε
e
x
t
to the layered superconductor and find three distinct regions. At weak screening, superconductivity is mediated by plasmons. In the opposite limit conventional electron–phonon interactions dominate. In between, we find a suppressed superconducting state. Our results show that even in conventional electron–phonon coupled layered materials, superconductivity can be significantly enhanced by the electron–plasmon coupling in a manner that can be controlled by the external screening.
Funder
Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
National Science Foundation
H2020 European Research Council
European Commission’s Horizon 2020 RISE program Hydrotronics
Dutch Research Council
Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers
Subject
Mechanical Engineering,Mechanics of Materials,Condensed Matter Physics,General Materials Science,General Chemistry
Reference93 articles.
1. Superconductivity at the two-dimensional limit;Qin;Science,2009
2. Superconductivity in one-atomic-layer metal films grown on Si(111);Zhang;Nat. Phys.,2010
3. Threefold enhancement of superconductivity and the role of field-induced odd-frequency pairing in epitaxial aluminum films near the 2D limit;van Weerdenburg,2022
4. A high-mobility electron gas at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerface;Ohtomo;Nature,2004
5. Superconducting interfaces between insulating oxides;Reyren;Science,2007