Alternating Superconducting and Charge Density Wave Monolayers within Bulk 6R-TaS2

Nano Lett. 2022 Aug 10;22(15):6268-6275. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01851. Epub 2022 Jul 20.

Abstract

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures continue to attract intense interest as a route of designing materials with novel properties that cannot be found in nature. Unfortunately, this approach is currently limited to only a few layers that can be stacked on top of each other. Here, we report a bulk vdW material consisting of superconducting 1H TaS2 monolayers interlayered with 1T TaS2 monolayers displaying charge density waves (CDW). This bulk vdW heterostructure is created by phase transition of 1T-TaS2 to 6R at 800 °C in an inert atmosphere. Its superconducting transition (Tc) is found at 2.6 K, exceeding the Tc of the bulk 2H phase. Using first-principles calculations, we argue that the coexistence of superconductivity and CDW within 6R-TaS2 stems from amalgamation of the properties of adjacent 1H and 1T monolayers, where the former dominates the superconducting state and the latter the CDW behavior.

Keywords: 2D materials; Bulk van der Waals heterostructure; Charge density waves; Superconductivity; TaS2.