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Massive Suppression of Proximity Pairing in Topological Films on Niobium
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 236402 – Published 12 June, 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.236402
Abstract
Interfacing bulk conducting topological films with -wave superconductors initiates strong superconducting order in the nontrivial surface states. However, bulk insulating topological films on bulk Nb instead exhibit a giant attenuation of surface superconductivity, even for films only two layers thick. This massive suppression of proximity pairing is evidenced by ultrahigh-resolution band mappings and by contrasting quantified superconducting gaps with those of heavily -doped topological . The results underscore the limitations of using superconducting proximity effects to realize topological superconductivity in nearly intrinsic systems.