Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction

Abstract The quantum metal state (QMS) occurring between the superconductor and insulator transition is often considered a Bose metal phase (BMP) whose understanding remains elusive and has been under debate even though studied for decades. To observe the BMP one needs to disrupt the phase coherence...

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Main Authors: Reena Yadav, Mandeep Kaur, M. P. Saravanan, Sudhir Husale
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11256-8
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author Reena Yadav
Mandeep Kaur
M. P. Saravanan
Sudhir Husale
author_facet Reena Yadav
Mandeep Kaur
M. P. Saravanan
Sudhir Husale
author_sort Reena Yadav
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The quantum metal state (QMS) occurring between the superconductor and insulator transition is often considered a Bose metal phase (BMP) whose understanding remains elusive and has been under debate even though studied for decades. To observe the BMP one needs to disrupt the phase coherence and search it into 2D amorphous, disorder, defective or nanoengineered superconducting materials. Superconductor -Topological insulator (SC-TI) junctions host the exotic nature of quasiparticles and are expected to show 2D superconductivity. Here, for the first time, we harness exotic SC-TI junctions investigating signatures of BMP and report proximity induced low temperature transport through superconductor-bismuth telluride (SC-Bi2Te3) nanosheet junctions. Transport data reveals superconducting effects in the nanosheets and the existence of the resistive metallic state with reentrant nature. We analysed the data to show the appearance of different quantum states. For longer junction lengths (1.1 & 0.78 μm), temperature-dependent resistive humps having similar peak heights and widths in the magnetoresistance (MR) curves were observed which were suppressed for smaller junction length (310 nm). The hump signatures in MR curves and scaling analysis of the data indicate the appearance of BMP. Our results suggest that SC-TI junctions exhibiting partial superconductivity are necessary to witness a peculiar metallic state resembling a BMP.
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spelling doaj-art-077d3ba0ed9b4ddb8b29145e51f5e3e22025-08-20T03:46:05ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-11256-8Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junctionReena Yadav0Mandeep Kaur1M. P. Saravanan2Sudhir Husale3Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)National Physical Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial ResearchLow Temperature Laboratory, UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific ResearchAcademy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)Abstract The quantum metal state (QMS) occurring between the superconductor and insulator transition is often considered a Bose metal phase (BMP) whose understanding remains elusive and has been under debate even though studied for decades. To observe the BMP one needs to disrupt the phase coherence and search it into 2D amorphous, disorder, defective or nanoengineered superconducting materials. Superconductor -Topological insulator (SC-TI) junctions host the exotic nature of quasiparticles and are expected to show 2D superconductivity. Here, for the first time, we harness exotic SC-TI junctions investigating signatures of BMP and report proximity induced low temperature transport through superconductor-bismuth telluride (SC-Bi2Te3) nanosheet junctions. Transport data reveals superconducting effects in the nanosheets and the existence of the resistive metallic state with reentrant nature. We analysed the data to show the appearance of different quantum states. For longer junction lengths (1.1 & 0.78 μm), temperature-dependent resistive humps having similar peak heights and widths in the magnetoresistance (MR) curves were observed which were suppressed for smaller junction length (310 nm). The hump signatures in MR curves and scaling analysis of the data indicate the appearance of BMP. Our results suggest that SC-TI junctions exhibiting partial superconductivity are necessary to witness a peculiar metallic state resembling a BMP.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11256-8SuperconductivityBose metal phaseTopological insulatorsBismuth tellurideLow temperature transportNanodevice
spellingShingle Reena Yadav
Mandeep Kaur
M. P. Saravanan
Sudhir Husale
Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction
Scientific Reports
Superconductivity
Bose metal phase
Topological insulators
Bismuth telluride
Low temperature transport
Nanodevice
title Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction
title_full Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction
title_fullStr Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction
title_full_unstemmed Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction
title_short Proximity induced signatures of elusive Bose metal phase in topological insulator- superconductor junction
title_sort proximity induced signatures of elusive bose metal phase in topological insulator superconductor junction
topic Superconductivity
Bose metal phase
Topological insulators
Bismuth telluride
Low temperature transport
Nanodevice
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11256-8
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AT mandeepkaur proximityinducedsignaturesofelusivebosemetalphaseintopologicalinsulatorsuperconductorjunction
AT mpsaravanan proximityinducedsignaturesofelusivebosemetalphaseintopologicalinsulatorsuperconductorjunction
AT sudhirhusale proximityinducedsignaturesofelusivebosemetalphaseintopologicalinsulatorsuperconductorjunction