Amplitude `Higgs' mode in 2H-NbSe2 Superconductor

We report experimental evidences for the observation of the superconducting amplitude mode, so-called `Higgs' mode in the charge density wave superconductor 2H-NbSe2 using Raman scattering. By comparing 2H-NbSe2 and its iso-structural partner 2H-NbS2 which shows superconductivity but lacks the charge density wave order, we demonstrate that the superconducting mode in 2H-NbSe2 owes its spectral weight to the presence of the coexisting charge density wave order. In addition, temperature dependent measurements in 2H-NbSe2 show a full spectral weight transfer from the charge density wave mode to the superconducting mode upon entering the superconducting phase. Both observations are fully consistent with a superconducting amplitude mode or Higgs mode.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B Rapid Com. 5 pages with 3 figure

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of layers of superconducting 2H-TaSe2_\textbf{2}: Evidence for a zero bias anomaly in single layers

We report a characterization of surfaces of the dichalcogenide TaSe$_2$ using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S) at 150 mK. When the top layer has the 2H structure and the layer immediately below the 1T structure, we find a singular spatial dependence of the tunneling conductance below 1 K, changing from a zero bias peak on top of Se atoms to a gap in between Se atoms. The zero bias peak is additionally modulated by the commensurate $3a_0 \times 3a_0$ charge density wave of 2H-TaSe$_2$. Multilayers of 2H-TaSe$_2$ show a spatially homogeneous superconducting gap with a critical temperature also of 1 K. We discuss possible origins for the peculiar tunneling conductance in single layers.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figure

Penetration depth study of the type-I superconductor PdTe2

Superconductivity in the topological non-trivial Dirac semimetal PdTe$_2$ was recently shown to be type-I. We here report measurements of the relative magnetic penetration depth, $\Delta \lambda$, on several single crystals using a high precision tunnel diode oscillator technique. The temperature variation $\Delta \lambda (T)$ follows an exponential function for $T/T_c < 0.4$, consistent with a fully-gapped superconducting state and weak or moderately coupling superconductivity. By fitting the data we extract a $\lambda (0)$-value of $\sim 500$~nm. The normalized superfluid density is in good agreement with the computed curve for a type-I superconductor with nonlocal electrodynamics. Small steps are observed in $\Delta \lambda (T)$, which possibly relates to a locally lower $T_c$ due to defects in the single crystalline sample. single crystalline sample.Comment: 13 pages, including 5 figure

Disorder raises the critical temperature of a cuprate superconductor

With the discovery of charge density waves (CDW) in most members of the cuprate high temperature superconductors, the interplay between superconductivity and CDW has become a key point in the debate on the origin of high temperature superconductivity. Some experiments in cuprates point toward a CDW state competing with superconductivity, but others raise the possibility of a CDW-superconductivity intertwined order, or more elusive pair-density wave (PDW). Here we have used proton irradiation to induce disorder in crystals of La$_{1.875}$Ba$_{0.125}$CuO$_4$ and observed a striking 50% increase of $T_\mathrm{c}$ accompanied by a suppression of the CDW. This is in clear contradiction with the behaviour expected of a d-wave superconductor for which both magnetic and non-magnetic defects should suppress $T_\mathrm{c}$. Our results thus make an unambiguous case for the strong detrimental effect of the CDW on bulk superconductivity in La$_{1.875}$Ba$_{0.125}$CuO$_4$. Using tunnel diode oscillator (TDO) measurements, we find evidence for dynamic layer decoupling in PDW phase. Our results establish irradiation-induced disorder as a particularly relevant tuning parameter for the many families of superconductors with coexisting density waves, which we demonstrate on superconductors such as the dichalcogenides and Lu$_5$Ir$_4$Si$_{10}$.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Two-Gap Superconductivity in 2H-NbS2

International audienceWe performed specific heat measurements of the superconducting single crystal of 2H-NbS2 in the temperature range down to 0.6 K and magnetic fields up to 14 T. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the electronic specific heat consistently indicate existence of two superconducting energy gaps in the system. The superconducting anisotropy depends on both temperature and magnetic field. Moreover, the angular dependence of the upper critical field deviates from the Ginzburg-Landau behavior and rather reminds that of MgB2. All these features point to a multigap superconductivity in 2H-NbS2. Our measurements are in a perfect agreement with the previous scanning tunneling spectroscopy of Guillamón et al

Lu5Ir4Si10 whiskers : morphologies, structure cristalline, mosaïcité, supraconductivité et onde de densité de charge

National audienceParmi la famille très riche de composés intermétalliques R5Ir4Si10 (R=terre-rare), la phase Lu5Ir4Si10 est supraconductrice en dessous de 4K et présente une transition liée à une onde de densité de charge à 80K [1]. Des cristaux en forme d'aiguilles ou whiskers ont été obtenus. Les conditions de synthèses sont présentées ainsi qu'une observation détaillée de leur taille et morphologie, obtenue au microscope électronique à balayage [2]. Des analyses par diffraction de rayons X ont confirmé que ces aiguilles cristallisaient sous la même structure quadratique P4/mbm que les cristaux massifs. Les paramètres de mailles a = 12.484(1) Å et c = 4.190(2) Å sont comparables à ceux de la littérature [3]. A l'aide d'un diffractomètre 4-cercles, nous avons trouvé que les aiguilles poussent selon l'axe c et que les faces latérales sont orientées selon la direction [110]. La mosaïcité de ces cristaux a été mesurée à l'ESRF, ligne ID27. Elle est inférieure à 0.15° le long de l'axe c. Enfin, des mesures de résistivité électriques sont détaillées. Elles confirment l'excellente qualité de ces cristaux

Magnetic and structural properties of the iron silicide superconductor LaFeSiH

The magnetic and structural properties of the recently discovered pnictogen/chalcogen-free superconductor LaFeSiH ($T_c\simeq10$~K) have been investigated by $^{57}$Fe synchrotron M{\"o}ssbauer source (SMS) spectroscopy, x-ray and neutron powder diffraction and $^{29}$Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). No sign of long range magnetic order or local moments has been detected in any of the measurements and LaFeSiH remains tetragonal down to 2 K. The activated temperature dependence of both the NMR Knight shift and the relaxation rate $1/T_1$ is analogous to that observed in strongly overdoped Fe-based superconductors. These results, together with the temperature-independent NMR linewidth, show that LaFeSiH is an homogeneous metal, far from any magnetic or nematic instability, and with similar Fermi surface properties as strongly overdoped iron pnictides. This raises the prospect of enhancing the $T_c$ of LaFeSiH by reducing its carrier concentration through appropriate chemical substitutions. Additional SMS spectroscopy measurements under hydrostatic pressure up to 18.8~GPa found no measurable hyperfine field