Enhanced Superconductivity at Quantum-Critical KTaO<sub>3</sub> Interface

Oral-In-person

Abstract

Superconductivity at oxide interfaces has intrigued researchers for decades, yet the underlying pairing mechanism remains elusive. Here we demonstrate that proximity to a ferroelectric quantum critical point dramatically enhances interfacial superconductivity in KTaO3. By precisely tuning KTaO3 to its quantum critical composition through 0.8% niobium doping, we achieve a near-doubling of the superconducting transition temperature, reaching 2.9 K. Remarkably, a dome-shaped carrier density dependence emerges exclusively at the quantum critical point, contrasting sharply with the linear scaling observed in undoped interfaces. Our findings establish ferroelectric quantum criticality as a powerful mechanism for enhancing superconductivity and provide compelling evidence for soft-phonon-mediated pairing in these systems.

Presenters

  • Jiangfeng Yang

    • University of Wisconsin - Madison

Authors

  • Jiangfeng Yang

    • University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • Jieun Kim

    • University of Wisconsin - Madison
  • Muqing Yu

    • University of Pittsburgh
  • Ahmed Omran

    • University of Pittsburgh
  • Ranjani Ramachandran

    • University of Pittsburgh
  • William Nachlas

  • Patrick Irvin

    • University of Pittsburgh
  • Jeremy Levy

    • University of Pittsburgh
  • Chang-Beom Eom

    • University of Wisconsin - Madison