Allotropic transition of Dirac semimetal {\alpha}-Sn to superconductor {\beta}-Sn induced by irradiation of focused ion beam

Diamond-type structure allotrope {\alpha}-Sn is attracting much attention as a topological Dirac semimetal (TDS). In this study, we demonstrate that {\alpha}-Sn undergoes a phase transition to another allotrope {\beta}-Sn with superconductivity at low temperature by irradiating with a focused Ga ion...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inarXiv.org
Main Authors Inagaki, Kohdai, Ishihara, Keita, Hotta, Tomoki, Seki, Yuichi, Takeda, Takahito, Ishida, Tatsuhiro, Ootsuki, Daiki, Kawasaki, Ikuto, Fujimori, Shin-ichi, Tanaka, Masaaki, Le, Duc Anh, Kobayashi, Masaki
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 01.10.2023
Subjects
Allotropy
Alpha rays
Diamonds
Heterostructures
Ion beams
Irradiation
Low temperature
Metallicity
Phase transitions
Photoelectric emission
Side effects
Superconductivity
Thin films
X ray photoelectron spectroscopy
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Summary:Diamond-type structure allotrope {\alpha}-Sn is attracting much attention as a topological Dirac semimetal (TDS). In this study, we demonstrate that {\alpha}-Sn undergoes a phase transition to another allotrope {\beta}-Sn with superconductivity at low temperature by irradiating with a focused Ga ion beam (FIB). To clarify the transition mechanism, we performed X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on an {\alpha}-Sn thin film irradiated with FIB and an as-grown {\alpha}-Sn thin film. The XPS results suggest that the local annealing, which is one of the side effects of FIB, causes the transformation from {\alpha}-Sn into {\beta}-Sn. Furthermore, the difference in the chemical states between {\alpha}-Sn and {\beta}-Sn can be quantitatively explained by the crystal structures rather than the degree of metallicity reflecting the conductivity. These results propose a new way of fabricating TDS/superconductor in-plane heterostructures based on {\alpha}-Sn and {\beta}-Sn.
ISSN:2331-8422