$X$-type electrides hosting skin-like interstitial electron states and doping-enhanced superconductivity

Abstract: The exploration of electrides is of great significance for the fundamental physics due to their unique properties arising from interstitial anionic electrons. Here we report a novel class of $X$-type electrides, distinguished by two distinct anionic electron subchannels forming alternating chains in real space. Through structural symmetry analysis and first-principles calculations, we identify two-dimensional $M_2$N ($M$ = Ti, Zr, Hf) materials as prototypical systems exhibiting these unique features. The anionic electron channels on the upper and lower surfaces of these materials display a vertically alternating pattern, with their projected bands revealing momentum-dependent splitting behavior in the reciprocal space, protected by a crystal symmetry operation $O$. Notably, the $X$-type electride characteristic is independent of the layer number and remains robust on the upper and lower surfaces of layered structures, presenting a pronounced skin-like effect. Additionally, we have explored the superconductivity of these systems, and found that both Ti$_2$N and Zr$_2$N are intrinsic superconductors with superconducting transition temperatures below 1.0 K. Further results show that appropriate hole doping can significantly enhance their superconducting transition temperatures and can induce the Hf$_2$N monolayer to exhibit superconductivity. Our findings provide valuable insights into the design and tuning of novel electrides with enhanced superconducting properties, offering a new pathway for deeply understanding the interplay between electride behavior and superconductivity in novel materials.