Ta2C: A possible candidate of topological superconductor

Superconducting materials with nontrivial band structures near the Fermi level are promising candidates for realizing topological superconductivity . In this work, we have synthesized high-quality and large-size Ta 2 C single crystals using limited carburization method and comprehensively investigated their physical properties. The results reveal that Ta 2 C exhibits bulk superconductivity with the critical temperature of 4.1 K, which belongs to intermediate coupling type-II superconductors, with an upper critical field of 0.153 T and a lower critical field of 21.8 Oe. The layered structure and relatively weak interlayer coupling of Ta 2 C give it the potential to exhibit diverse electronic and optical properties , similar to MXenes. Our first-principles calculations reveal strong band topology in Ta 2 C. Therefore, it is highly likely to bring us extraordinary surprises in the search for topological superconducting materials. • Grown large, high-quality single crystals of Ta 2 C. • Identified Ta 2 C as a type-II superconductor (T c =4.1 K). • A possible candidate for topological superconductivity .