Presentation Information
[2H06]Proximity-induced superconductivity in a 2D Kondo Lattice
*Howon Kim1,3, Dirk K Morr2, Roland Wiesendanger3 (1. Center for Quantum Conversion Research, Institute for Basic Science, 2. Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 3. Department of Physics, University of Hamburg)
Realizing hybrids of low-dimensional Kondo lattices with superconducting substrates provides a powerful platform to explore strongly correlated electrons under induced pairing. Here we present STM/STS measurements on an epitaxial two-dimensional (2D) La–Ce surface alloy grown on superconducting Re(0001). In the normal state, we detect a pronounced hybridization gap, evidencing coherent Kondo screening in the 2D lattice formed by the ultrathin La–Ce film on Re(0001). Below the superconducting transition temperature of rhenium, the film acquires a proximity-induced gap whose coherence peaks exhibit clear particle–hole asymmetry, attributable to interactions between residual, partially screened magnetic moments and the superconducting substrate. Moreover, we find a positive correlation between the magnitude of the Kondo hybridization gap and the degree of coherence-peak asymmetry.