Superconductivity in hole-doped germanium point contacts
N. V. Gamayunova1, M. Kuzmiak2, P. Szabó2, P. Samuely2, and Yu. G. Naidyuk1
1B. Verkin Institute for Low Temperature Physics and Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
Kharkiv 61103, Ukraine
E-mail: naidyuk@ilt.kharkov.ua
2Centre of Low Temperature Physics, Institute of Experimental Physics, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Košice SK-04001, Slovakia pos Анотація:1049
Received September 6, 2021, published online December 24, 2021
Abstract
We have observed superconductivity in heavy p-doped Ge by measuring of differential resistance dV/dI(V) of Ge–PtIr point contacts. The superconducting features disappear above 6 K or above 1 T, what can be taken as the critical temperature and the critical magnetic field, respectively. The observed dV/dI(V) spectrum with
Andreev reflection like features was fitted within one-gap Blonder–Tinkham–Klapwijk model. The extracted superconducting gap demonstrates Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer-like behavior with 2Δ/kBTc = 10.5 ± 0.5 ratio, which is much higher than expected for conventional superconductors. Magnetic field suppresses Andreev reflection features, but the superconducting gap moderately decreases in magnetic field similarly as it was observed previously for the type II superconductors, including nickel borocarbide and iron-based superconductors. Curiously, we have not yet observed superconductivity in n-doped Ge with a similar dopant concentration.