PbTe/SnTe heterostructures -- candidate platform for studying spin-triplet superconductivity

Abstract: This paper explores the potential for spin-triplet superconductivity in molecular beam epitaxy grown PbTe/SnTe semiconductor heterostructures. We present convincing evidence for spin-triplet pairing by soft point-contact spectroscopy experiments, using both spin-polarized and unpolarized electrons and additionally, by detailed analysis of the upper critical field, as inferred from the four probe resistance measurements. The experimental data are described in terms of the Anderson-Brinkman-Morel model of p-wave electron pairing. Our results confirm the predictions on strain-induced topological superconductivity by E.Tang and L. Fu (Nature Physics, 10, 964, 2014).