Incoherent Cooper Pairing and Pseudogap Behavior in Single-Layer FeSe/SrTiO_{3}

In many unconventional superconductors, the presence of a pseudogap—a suppression in the electronic density of states extending above the critical temperature—has been a long-standing mystery. Here, we employ combined in situ electrical transport and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measure...

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Main Authors: B. D. Faeth, S.-L. Yang, J. K. Kawasaki, J. N. Nelson, P. Mishra, C. T. Parzyck, C. Li, D. G. Schlom, K. M. Shen
Format: article
Language:EN
Published: American Physical Society 2021
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Online Access:https://doaj.org/article/c191803f07df4fe5bc9cf47d73c498b5
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Summary:In many unconventional superconductors, the presence of a pseudogap—a suppression in the electronic density of states extending above the critical temperature—has been a long-standing mystery. Here, we employ combined in situ electrical transport and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements to reveal an unprecedentedly large pseudogap regime in single-layer FeSe/SrTiO_{3}, an interfacial superconductor where incoherent Cooper pairs are initially formed above T_{Δ}≈60  K but where a zero-resistance state is achieved only below T_{0}<30  K. We show that this behavior is accompanied by distinct transport signatures of two-dimensional phase fluctuating superconductivity, suggesting a mixed vortex state hosting incoherent Cooper pairs which persist well above the maximum clean limit T_{c} of approximately 40 K. Our work establishes the critical role of reduced dimensionality in driving the complex interplay between Cooper pairing and phase coherence in two-dimensional high-T_{c} superconductors, providing a paradigm for understanding and engineering higher-T_{c} interfacial superconductors.