Pressure-driven superconductivity in the topological insulator GeBi4Te7

Abstract

The van der Waals, pseudo-binary chalcogenides (ACh)m(Pn2Ch3)n (A = Ge, Mn, Pb, etc.; Pn = Sb or Bi; Ch = Te, Se) have recently been reported to host a vast landscape of topological phases of matter, including the quantum anomalous Hall state and topological axion state with quantized magnetoelectric effect. A subgroup in this series, like MnSb4Te7 and GeSb4Te7, can be driven to a superconducting state by applying a physical pressure, making them viable candidates to realize so-called topological superconductivity. However, the role of magnetic fluctuations in this pressure-induced superconductivity remains unclear. Here, we report the pressure-induced multiple superconducting phases in the nonmagnetic GeBi4Te7, accompanied by corresponding structural transitions evidenced from the high-pressure Raman scattering. In comparison with other members in this family, we find the superconducting transition temperature of the nonmagnetic subgroup is significantly higher than their magnetic homologues, possibly hinting at the detrimental role played by the magnetic fluctuations in the superconductivity formation, at least in this pseudo-binary chalcogenide family.