Spin–valley locking in the normal state of a transition-metal dichalcogenide superconductor

L. Bawden, S. P. Cooil, F. Mazzola, J. M. Riley, L. J. Collins-McIntyre, V. Sunko, K. W. B. Hunvik, M. Leandersson, C. M. Polley, T. Balasubramanian, T. K. Kim, M. Hoesch, J. W. Wells, G. Balakrishnan, M. S. Bahramy and P. D. C. King ()
Additional contact information
L. Bawden: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
S. P. Cooil: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
F. Mazzola: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
J. M. Riley: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
L. J. Collins-McIntyre: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
V. Sunko: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
K. W. B. Hunvik: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
M. Leandersson: MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
C. M. Polley: MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
T. Balasubramanian: MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University
T. K. Kim: Diamond Light Source
M. Hoesch: Diamond Light Source
J. W. Wells: Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
G. Balakrishnan: University of Warwick
M. S. Bahramy: The University of Tokyo
P. D. C. King: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract Metallic transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are benchmark systems for studying and controlling intertwined electronic orders in solids, with superconductivity developing from a charge-density wave state. The interplay between such phases is thought to play a critical role in the unconventional superconductivity of cuprates, Fe-based and heavy-fermion systems, yet even for the more moderately-correlated TMDCs, their nature and origins have proved controversial. Here, we study a prototypical example, 2H-NbSe2, by spin- and angle-resolved photoemission and first-principles theory. We find that the normal state, from which its hallmark collective phases emerge, is characterized by quasiparticles whose spin is locked to their valley pseudospin. This results from a combination of strong spin–orbit interactions and local inversion symmetry breaking, while interlayer coupling further drives a rich three-dimensional momentum dependence of the underlying Fermi-surface spin texture. These findings necessitate a re-investigation of the nature of charge order and superconducting pairing in NbSe2 and related TMDCs.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11711

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