Mechanism for Nodal Topological Superconductivity on PtBi 2 Surface
Abstract
Experiments show that the Weyl semimetal PtBi_{2} hosts unconventional superconductivity in its topological surface states. Hence, the material is a candidate for intrinsic topological superconductivity. Measurements indicate nodal gaps in the center of the Fermi arcs. We derive that anisotropic electron-phonon coupling on Weyl semimetal surfaces, combined with statically screened Coulomb repulsion, is a microscopic mechanism for this nodal pairing. The dominant solution of the linearized gap equation shows nodal gaps when the surface state bandwidth is comparable to the maximum phonon energy, as is the case in PtBi_{2}. We further predict that, if the screening of Coulomb interaction on the surface is enhanced by Coulomb engineering, the superconducting gap becomes nodeless, and the critical temperature increases.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Topological Materials and Phenomena
Surface and Thin Film Phenomena
Advanced Physical and Chemical Molecular Interactions
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Physical Review Letters
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Volume
- 137
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 056001–056001
- Publication date
- 23 June 2026
- Language
- EN