Obtaining a robust superconducting state in atomically precise nanographene (NG) structures by proximity to a superconductor could foster the discovery of topological superconductivity in graphene. On-surface synthesis of such NGs has been achieved on noble metals or metal oxides, however, it is still absent on superconductors. Here, we present a synthetic method to induce superconductivity to polymeric chains and NGs adsorbed on the superconducting Nb(110) substrate covered by thin Ag films. Using atomic force microscopy at low-temperature, we characterize the chemical structure of each sub-product formed on the superconducting Ag layer. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy further allows us to elucidate electronic properties of these nanostructures, which consistently show a superconducting gap. We foresee our approach to become a promising platform for exploring the interplay between carbon magnetism and superconductivity at the fundamental level.
@article{arxiv.2202.00460,
title = {Proximity-Induced Superconductivity in Atomically Precise Nanographene},
author = {Jung-Ching Liu and Rémy Pawlak and Xing Wang and Philipp D'Astolfo and Carl Drechsel and Ping Zhou and Silvio Decurtins and Ulrich Aschauer and Shi-Xia Liu and Wulf Wulfhekel and Ernst Meyer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.00460},
year = {2025}
}