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Modulations in Superconductors: Probes of Underlying Physics.

Yehao GuoDong QiuMingxin ShaoJingyan SongYang WangMinyi XuChao YangPeng LiHaiwen LiuJie Xiong
Published in: Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) (2022)
The importance of modulations has been elevated to an unprecedented level, due to the delicate conditions required to bring out exotic phenomena in quantum materials, such as topological materials, magnetic materials, and superconductors. Recently, state-of-the-art modulation techniques in material science, such as electric double-layer transistor, piezoelectric-based strain apparatus, angle twisting, and nanofabrication, are utilized in superconductors. They not only efficiently increase the tuning capability to the broader ranges, but also extend the tuning dimensionality to unprecedented degrees of freedom, including quantum fluctuations of competing phases, electronic correlation, and phase coherence essential to global superconductivity. Here, for a comprehensive review, these techniques together with the established modulation methods, such as elemental substitution, annealing, and polarization-induced gating, are contextualized. Depending on the mechanism of each method, the modulations are categorized into stoichiometric manipulation, electrostatic gating, mechanical modulation, and geometrical design. Their recent advances are highlighted by applications in newly discovered superconductors, e.g., nickelates, Kagome metals, and magic-angle graphene. Overall, the review is to provide systematic modulations in emergent superconductors and serve as the coordinate for future investigations, which will stimulate researchers in superconductivity and other fields to perform various modulations towards a thorough understanding of quantum materials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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