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    Bulk superconductivity in a Tsai-type 2/1 approximant approaching the quasiperiodic limit

    Shintaro Suzuki1,2,*,†, Shunsuke Ogasawara1,*, Yuji Muro3, Takenori Fujii4, Asuka Ishikawa5, and Ryuji Tamura1,‡

    • *These authors contributed equally to this work.
    • †Contact author: s_suzuki@phys.aoyama.ac.jp
    • ‡Contact author: tamura@rs.tus.ac.jp

    Phys. Rev. B 114, 144506 – Published 11 September, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/mp13-c944

    Abstract

    The emergence of superconductivity in quasiperiodic systems poses a fundamental question: Can conventional superconductivity survive as translational symmetry is progressively lost toward the quasiperiodic limit? Quasicrystal approximants, which share the same local atomic motifs as quasicrystals while retaining periodicity, provide an ideal platform to address this issue. Here, we report bulk superconductivity in the Tsai-type 2/1 approximant Au64Al22La14, which possesses a giant cubic unit cell with nearly 730 atoms. Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific-heat measurements consistently reveal a superconducting transition at Tc=0.50K. The specific-heat jump ratio ΔC/(γTc)=1.27 indicates weak-coupling superconductivity consistent with a phonon-mediated Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer mechanism. These results demonstrate that conventional superconductivity remains remarkably robust even in a structurally complex giant unit cell approximant approaching the quasiperiodic limit. Our findings establish high-order Tsai-type approximants as an important bridge between conventional periodic and quasiperiodic superconductors and provide a key step toward realizing superconductivity in true quasicrystals, distinct from disorder-driven amorphous systems.

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