Physical Review Research (Jul 2021)

Tuning the charge density wave quantum critical point and the appearance of superconductivity in TiSe_{2}

  • Sangyun Lee,
  • Tae Beom Park,
  • Jihyun Kim,
  • Soon-Gil Jung,
  • Won Kyung Seong,
  • Namjung Hur,
  • Yongkang Luo,
  • Duk Y. Kim,
  • Tuson Park

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.033097
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 3
p. 033097

Abstract

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The transition metal dichalcogenide TiSe_{2} is an ideal correlated system for studying the interplay between superconductivity (SC) and a charge density wave (CDW) because both symmetry-breaking phases can be easily controlled by either Cu intercalation or physical pressure. SC appears in proximity to a CDW quantum critical point (QCP) induced by both Cu intercalation and applied pressure, raising the possibility of CDW-driven SC. Here, we report tuning the CDW QCP by simultaneously controlling Cu intercalation and external pressure and the appearance of a SC dome centered on the tunable QCP. When subjected to pressure, CDW ordering of Cu-intercalated Cu_{0.025}TiSe_{2} is completely suppressed at 2.3 GPa, where the residual resistivity and the resistivity-temperature exponent decrease sharply, indicating the presence of the CDW QCP. The upper critical field of Cu_{0.025}TiSe_{2} is 3.51 kOe, 16 times larger than that of pristine TiSe_{2}, and its temperature dependence is linear, indicating that SC of TiSe_{2} is switched from the two-dimensional- to anisotropic three-dimensional-like by Cu intercalation. These discoveries show that the simultaneous application of Cu intercalation and pressure move the CDW QCP and that the highest SC transition temperature is pinned to the QCP, suggesting that the SC in TiSe_{2} is strongly correlated with CDW quantum criticality.