Year: 2026
Type: article
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.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/jkkp-z93h
Authors: Jieun Kim, Muqing Yu, Ahmed Omran, Jiangfeng Yang, Ranjani Ramachandran, William O. Nachlas, Patrick Irvin, Jeremy Levy, Chang-Beom Eom
Language: English
Subfield: Materials Chemistry
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4416360755
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