Carrier density and disorder tuned superconductor-metal transition in a two-dimensional electron system
Open Access
- 1 October 2018
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Nature Communications
- Vol. 9 (1), 4008
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06444-2
Abstract
Quantum ground states that arise at atomically controlled oxide interfaces provide an opportunity to address key questions in condensed matter physics, including the nature of two-dimensional metallic behaviour often observed adjacent to superconductivity. At the superconducting LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface, a metallic ground state emerges upon the collapse of superconductivity with field-effect gating and is accompanied with a pseudogap. Here we utilize independent control of carrier density and disorder of the interfacial superconductor using dual electrostatic gates, which enables the comprehensive examination of the electronic phase diagram approaching zero temperature. We find that the pseudogap corresponds to precursor pairing, and the onset of long-range phase coherence forms a two-dimensional superconducting dome as a function of the dual-gate voltages. The gate-tuned superconductor–metal transitions are driven by macroscopic phase fluctuations of Josephson coupled superconducting puddles.Keywords
Funding Information
- Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (GBMF4415)
- NSF | National Science Board (DMR-1157490)
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