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Inter-valley coherent order and isospin fluctuation mediated superconductivity in rhombohedral trilayer graphene

Author

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  • Shubhayu Chatterjee

    (University of California)

  • Taige Wang

    (University of California
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

  • Erez Berg

    (Weizmann Institute of Science)

  • Michael P. Zaletel

    (University of California
    Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

Abstract

Superconductivity was recently discovered in rhombohedral trilayer graphene (RTG) in the absence of a moiré potential. Superconductivity is observed proximate to a metallic state with reduced isospin symmetry, but it remains unknown whether this is a coincidence or a key ingredient for superconductivity. Using a Hartree-Fock analysis and constraints from experiments, we argue that the symmetry breaking is inter-valley coherent (IVC) in nature. We evaluate IVC fluctuations as a possible pairing glue, and find that they lead to chiral unconventional superconductivity when the fluctuations are strong. We further elucidate how the inter-valley Hund’s coupling determines the spin-structure of the IVC ground state and breaks the degeneracy between spin-singlet and triplet superconductivity. Remarkably, if the normal state is spin-unpolarized, we find that a ferromagnetic Hund’s coupling favors spin-singlet superconductivity, in agreement with experiments. Instead, if the normal state is spin-polarized, then IVC fluctuations lead to spin-triplet pairing.

Suggested Citation

  • Shubhayu Chatterjee & Taige Wang & Erez Berg & Michael P. Zaletel, 2022. "Inter-valley coherent order and isospin fluctuation mediated superconductivity in rhombohedral trilayer graphene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-33561-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33561-w
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