Coexistence of Topological Surface States and Superconductivity in Dirac Semimetal <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <mml:mrow> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>NiTe</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mn>2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> </mml:mrow> </mml:math>
Chen He, Jianzhou Zhao, Mei Du, Luo-Zhao Zhang, Jiaying Zhang, Kuo Yang, Noah F. Q. Yuan, Aleksandr Seliverstov, Ewald Janssens, Jun‐Yi Ge, Zhe Li
Abstract
The coexistence of topological bands around the Fermi level (E_{F}) and superconductivity provides a fundamental platform for exploring their interplay. However, few materials inherently display both properties. In this Letter, we demonstrate the coexistence of topological surface states at the E_{F} and superconductivity in NiTe_{2} single crystals, a material hitherto not recognized as superconducting. Quasiparticle interference measurements performed via scanning tunneling microscopy suggest the presence of topological surface states at the E_{F}, which is further corroborated by density functional theory simulations. Experimental evidence for superconductivity is provided via electronic transport measurements and specific heat capacity analyses. Our results suggest that NiTe_{2} represents a promising platform for investigating the rich interplay between topological states and superconductivity.