Topological materials represent one of the most promising areas of research in condensed matter physics, offering potential breakthroughs in dissipationless electronics and error-free quantum computing. The combination of non-trivial topology and superconductivity opens pathways to new quantum devices, and the discovery of intrinsic materials in which these properties coexist marks an important frontier in modern condensed matter physics.
Trigonal PtBi₂ has recently emerged as a candidate of particular interest, identified as the first example of a superconducting type-I Weyl semimetal [1–6]. However, several aspects of this compound remain unresolved, including its complex band structure and the nature of its superconducting transition. Transport measurements on bulk single crystals have shown a superconducting critical temperature of approximately 600 mK, whereas ARPES measurements reveal a superconducting transition in the topological surface states at a different temperature, around 15 K, without a corresponding anomaly in resistivity. In addition, recent AC susceptibility experiments indicate that the surface superconducting state exhibits fast superconducting fluctuations.
During this internship, the transport properties of trigonal PtBi₂ will be investigated to identify possible signatures of these superconducting fluctuations.
1. A. Veyrat et al., Nano Lett., 23, 4, 1229–1235 (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c04297.
2. S. Schimmel, Nature Communications, 15, 9895 (2024). DOI: s41467-024-54389-6.
3. A. Kuibarov et al., Nature, 626, 294–299 (2024). DOI: s41586-023-06977-7.
4. A. Veyrat et al., Nature Communications, 16, 6711 (2025). DOI: s41467-025-61059-8.
5. F. Caglieris et al., Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 084202 (2025). DOI: 10.1103/f66s-m6jy.
6. S. Changdar et al., Arxiv 2507.01774 (2025).
