Molecular Pairing in Twisted Bilayer Graphene Superconductivity

We propose a theory for how the weak phonon-mediated interaction (J_{A}=1-4 meV) wins over the prohibitive Coulomb repulsion (U=30-60 meV) and leads to a superconductor in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG). We find the pairing mechanism akin to that in the A_{3}C_{60} family of molecular superconductors: Each AA stacking region of MATBG resembles a C_{60} molecule, in that optical phonons can dynamically lift the degeneracy of the moiré orbitals, in analogy to the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect. Such induced J_{A} has the form of an intervalley anti-Hund's coupling and is less suppressed than U by the Kondo screening near a Mott insulator. Additionally, we also considered an intraorbital Hund's coupling J_{H} that originates from the on-site repulsion of a carbon atom. Under a reasonable approximation of the realistic model, we prove that the renormalized local interaction between quasiparticles has a pairing (negative) channel in a doped correlated insulator at ν=±(2+δν), albeit the bare interaction is positive definite. The proof is nonperturbative and based on exact asymptotic behaviors of the vertex function imposed by Ward identities. Existence of an optimal U for superconductivity is predicted. In a large area of the parameter space of J_{A}, J_{H}, the ground state is found to have a nematic d-wave singlet pairing, which, however, can lead to a p-wave-like nodal structure due to the Berry's phase on Fermi surfaces (or Euler obstruction).

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Physical Review Letters
Published
2024-09-30
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.133.146001
Citations
23
Primary Topic
Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
7.15

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Molecular Pairing in Twisted Bilayer Graphene Superconductivity

Zhida Song, Geng-Dong Zhou, Biao Lian, Shiyu Peng et al.
23 citations
Physical Review Letters
Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
7.15
article

Molecular Pairing in Twisted Bilayer Graphene Superconductivity

Zhida Song, Geng-Dong Zhou, Biao Lian, Shiyu Peng, Yijie Wang
article en
23 citations

Abstract

We propose a theory for how the weak phonon-mediated interaction (J_{A}=1-4 meV) wins over the prohibitive Coulomb repulsion (U=30-60 meV) and leads to a superconductor in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG). We find the pairing mechanism akin to that in the A_{3}C_{60} family of molecular superconductors: Each AA stacking region of MATBG resembles a C_{60} molecule, in that optical phonons can dynamically lift the degeneracy of the moiré orbitals, in analogy to the dynamical Jahn-Teller effect. Such induced J_{A} has the form of an intervalley anti-Hund's coupling and is less suppressed than U by the Kondo screening near a Mott insulator. Additionally, we also considered an intraorbital Hund's coupling J_{H} that originates from the on-site repulsion of a carbon atom. Under a reasonable approximation of the realistic model, we prove that the renormalized local interaction between quasiparticles has a pairing (negative) channel in a doped correlated insulator at ν=±(2+δν), albeit the bare interaction is positive definite. The proof is nonperturbative and based on exact asymptotic behaviors of the vertex function imposed by Ward identities. Existence of an optimal U for superconductivity is predicted. In a large area of the parameter space of J_{A}, J_{H}, the ground state is found to have a nematic d-wave singlet pairing, which, however, can lead to a p-wave-like nodal structure due to the Berry's phase on Fermi surfaces (or Euler obstruction).

Physical Review LettersVol. 133(14)
California Institute of Technology (US), Princeton University (US), Peking University (CN), Hefei University (CN), Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter (CN)
National Science Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
7.15
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.