Emergent topological superconductivity in Bi-intercalated van der Waals layered SiTe2

Abstract

Van der Waals (vdW) layered materials have attracted extensive attention and become a platform for investigating various exotic physical properties of interest. Considering experimentally synthesized vdW layered SiTe2 and monolayer Bi, here we propose a feasible way to obtain topological superconductivity by intercalating monolayer Bi into the bulk SiTe2. Using Allen-Dynes-modified McMillan equation based on the first principles calculations, we predict the bulk SiTe2 to be a superconductor with superconducting transition temperature TC of about 2.9 K, which could be effectively modulated by hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures. Intercalating a two-dimensional topological insulator Bi into the bulk SiTe2, we find that the system exhibits both superconductivity with TC of about 1.7 K and topological surface states near the Fermi energy. In addition, the TC of SiTe2 monolayer remains almost intact when exfoliated from its bulk. Our work paves a new way to realize topological superconductivity by intercalating topological matter into vdW layered materials.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

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