Sliding two-dimensional superconductivity and charge-density-wave state in a bulk crystal
Abstract
Superconductivity in the two-dimensional (2D) limit is a fertile ground for exotic quantum phenomena-many of which remain elusive in their 3D counterparts. While studies of 2D superconductivity have predominantly focused on mono- or few-layer systems, we demonstrate an alternative route-interlayer sliding in bulk crystals. Through a precisely controlled growth strategy, we engineer interlayer sliding in bulk 3R-NbSe2, deliberately disrupting [001] mirror symmetry and drastically suppressing interlayer coupling. Remarkably, this structural manipulation stabilizes Ising-type superconductivity coexisting with an unconventional charge-density-wave (CDW) state akin to that of monolayer 2H-NbSe2. The sliding phase exhibits a pronounced suppression of the upper critical field at low temperatures, revealing a delicate competition between Ising and Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in the globally noncentrosymmetric lattice. Intriguingly, the superconducting state displays two-fold symmetry, a signature that may arise from asymmetric SOC or a multi-component pairing order parameter. Our work establishes interlayer sliding as a symmetry-breaking tool to promote 2D superconductivity in bulk materials-without resorting to extrinsic intercalation or doping. More broadly, this approach sets a paradigm for unlocking hidden quantum states in layered materials, offering a new dimension in design of quantum matter.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.01241,
title = {Sliding two-dimensional superconductivity and charge-density-wave state in a bulk crystal},
author = {Xiangqi Liu and Chen Xu and Jing Jiang and Haonan Wang and Shaobo Liu and Gan Liu and Ziyi Zhu and Jian Yuan and Wei Xia and Lianbing Wen and Jiawei Luo and Yixuan Luo and Xia Wang and Na Yu and Peihong Cheng and Leiming Chen and Rui Zhou and Jun Li and Yulin Chen and Shiwei Wu and Ke Qu and Wei Li and Guangming Zhang and Chungang Duan and Jianhao Chen and Xiaoxiang Xi and Zhenzhong Yang and Kai Liu and Yanfeng Guo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.01241},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
Main Text 36 Pages + 3 figures; SI 38 pages + 30 figures + 8 tables