Magnetotransport evidence for the coexistence of two-dimensional superconductivity and ferromagnetism at (111)-oriented a-CaZrO3/KTaO3 interfaces
Exploring the intricate interplay between magnetism and superconductivity is crucial for unveiling the underlying mechanisms of unconventional superconductivity. Here, we report on the magnetotransport evidence for the coexistence of a two-dimensional (2D) superconducting state and a 2D ferromagnetic state at the interface between amorphous CaZrO<sub>3</sub> film and (111)-oriented KTaO<sub>3</sub> single crystal. Remarkably, the fingerprint of ferromagnetism, i.e., hysteretic magnetoresistance loops, is observed in the superconducting state. The butterfly-shaped hysteresis with twin peaks emerges against the background of superconducting zero resistance, and the peak amplitude increases with the sweep rate of the magnetic field, indicating that the magnetization dynamics are at play in the superconducting state. Moreover, the magnetoresistance hysteresis is strongly dependent on temperature, achieving a maximum near the superconducting transition temperature. This behavior is well described by the thermal activated phase slip model. Density function theory (DFT) calculations suggest that the magnetic moment is primarily contributed by the Ta 5d<sub>yz</sub> orbital, and the Stoner ferromagnetism is identified. Our findings provide new insights into the interaction of magnetism and superconductivity at KTaO<sub>3</sub>-based oxide heterointerfaces.
Authors
- Siyi Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8982-0723)
- Jirong Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4531-4794)
- Jinsong Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2195-2997)
- Yinan Xiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4220-6813)
- Bang‐Gui Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6030-6680)
- Fengxia Hu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0383-0213)
- Ning Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0616-3460)
- Qixuan Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3287-2791)
- Weisheng S. Zhao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8088-0404)
- Yuansha Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7291-5088)
- Mengqin Wang
- Furong Han (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5239-2320)
- Yongchao Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1869-2290)
- Dongyao Zheng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0228-1773)
- Lu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7950-0883)
- Jine Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7949-3239)
- Weimin Qi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4607-8129)
- Hui Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1238-8770)
- D. Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3534-9938)
- Huaiwen Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6509-1998)
- Baogen Shen
Institutions
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Hefei University (CN)
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory (CN)
- FZU ‒ Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (CZ)
- Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems (CN)
- Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences (CN)
- Institute of Physics (CN)
- National Laboratory for Superconductivity (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology (CN)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- Beihang University (CN)
- Tsinghua University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-03-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-58300-9
- Citations
- 9
- Primary Topic
- Electronic and Structural Properties of Oxides
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.66