Proximity-Induced Superconductivity in Atomically Precise Nanographene on Ag/Nb(110).

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Atomically precise nanographenes (NGs) are promising for topological superconductivity.
• On-surface synthesis of NGs has been limited to non-superconducting substrates.
• Achieving superconductivity in NGs via proximity effect is a key goal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a synthetic method for NGs on a superconducting substrate.
• To investigate the superconducting properties of NGs induced by proximity effect.
• To explore potential applications in topological superconductivity.

Main Methods:

• On-surface synthesis of polymeric chains and NGs on a Nb(110) substrate covered by Ag films.
• Low-temperature atomic force microscopy (AFM) for structural characterization.
• Scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) for electronic property analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of polymeric chains and NGs on a superconducting substrate.
• Characterization of subproducts using AFM.
• Observation of a superconducting gap in the synthesized nanostructures via STS.

Conclusions:

• A novel synthetic route for inducing superconductivity in NGs on superconductors was established.
• The study demonstrates the feasibility of proximity-induced superconductivity in graphene nanostructures.
• This work opens new avenues for the discovery of topological superconductivity in graphene.