Emergence of charge density wave domain walls above the superconducting dome in TiSe$_2$

ORAL

Abstract

Superconductivity (SC) in so-called ``unconventional superconductors'' is nearly always found in the vicinity of another ordered state, such as antiferromagnetism, charge density wave (CDW), or stripe order. This suggests a fundamental connection between SC and fluctuations in some other order parameter. 1$T$-TiSe$_2$ is a prototypical CDW material in the transition-metal dichalcogenide family and was previously shown to exhibit SC when the CDW is suppressed by hydrostatic pressure or intercalation of Cu atoms. Here, we present detailed high pressure x-ray scattering study on 1$T$-TiSe$_2$. We found that the CDW phase of 1$T$-TiSe$_2$ is completely suppressed on the application of hydrostatic pressure and established the existence of a quantum critical point (QCP). Unexpectedly, we observed a weakly first order, incommensurate CDW phase, suggesting the presence of a Lifshitz tricritical point somewhere above the superconducting dome. Our study suggests that SC in 1$T$-TiSe$_2$ may not be directly connected to the QCP of the CDW order, but to the formation of CDW domain wall.

Authors

  • Y.I. Joe

    University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • X.M. Chen

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • P. Ghaemi

    University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • K.D. Finkelstein

    Cornell University

  • G.A. de la Pe\~na

    University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • Y. Gan

    University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • J.C.T. Lee

    Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720-8229, USA, Lawrence Berkeley Natl Lab, Lawrence Berkely Nation Labaratory

  • S. Yuan

    University of Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • J. Geck

    Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden

  • G.J. MacDougall

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • T.C. Chiang

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Univ of Illinois - Urbana, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • S.L. Cooper

    University of Illinois, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • E. Fradkin

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics and ICMT, University of Illinois, Univ of Illinois - Urbana, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

  • P. Abbamonte

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign