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Superconductivity in single-crystalline aluminum- and gallium-hyperdoped germanium

MetadataDetails
Publication Date2019-05-09
JournalPhysical Review Materials
AuthorsSƂawomir Prucnal, V. Heera, RenĂ© HĂŒbner, Mao Wang, Grzegorz P. Mazur
InstitutionsKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Polish Academy of Sciences
Citations19

Superconductivity in group IV semiconductors is desired for hybrid devices combining both semiconducting and superconducting properties. Following boron-doped diamond and Si, superconductivity has been observed in gallium-doped Ge; however, the obtained specimen is in polycrystalline form [Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 217003 (2009)10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.217003]. Here we present superconducting single-crystalline Ge hyperdoped with gallium or aluminum by ion implantation and rear-side flash lamp annealing. The maximum concentration of Al and Ga incorporated into substitutional positions in Ge is 8 times higher than the equilibrium solid solubility. This corresponds to a hole concentration above 1021cm-3. Using density functional theory in the local-density approximation and pseudopotential plane-wave approach, we show that the superconductivity in p-type Ge is phonon mediated. According to the ab initio calculations, the critical superconducting temperature for Al- and Ga-doped Ge is in the range of 0.45 K for 6.25at.% of dopant concentration, being in qualitative agreement with experimentally obtained values.