Xuliang Chen

We investigate the misfit-layer superconductor (PbS)1.16TaS2, a bulk natural heterostructure comprising alternating PbS and 1H-TaS2 layers. X-ray diffraction, atomically resolved transmission electron microscopy, and anisotropic magnetotransport measurements indicate that the out-of-plane superconducting coherence length is comparable to the interlayer spacing between adjacent 1H-TaS2 sheets, placing the system in the quasi-two-dimensional superconducting regime. Interlayer (magneto)transport further exhibits characteristic peak features consistent with contributions from quasiparticle and Cooper-pair tunneling. In addition, the V–I curves for I//c under B//ab reveal step-like features and negative differential resistance consistent with resonant Josephson-vortex dynamics and associated nonequilibrium instability. These observations support Josephson-like interlayer coupling between the naturally stacked superconducting layers of (PbS)1.16TaS2. Combined resistivity and Raman measurements reveal no detectable charge-density-wave (CDW) signatures. In contrast to CDW-bearing 2H-TaS2, which superconducts only below TC ≈ 0.8 K, (PbS)1.16TaS2 shows an enhanced TC ≈ 3.04 K, consistent with a competing relationship between CDW order and superconductivity. The present findings establish (PbS)1.16TaS2, and potentially related superconducting misfit derivatives, as a versatile platform for studying bulk quasi-two-dimensional superconductivity and associated emergent phenomena, with prospects for Josephson-junction-based devices.

In many charge‐density‐wave (CDW) materials, superconductivity emerges as CDW order collapses, producing a dome‐shaped phase diagram commonly associated with quantum criticality or direct competition between the two orders. Here, a distinct pressure‐tuned case is identified in NdSeTe ₂ , where the superconducting dome is fully embedded within a persistent CDW state. Electrical resistivity measurements reveal a conventional superconducting dome with a maximum transition temperature of T _C ≈ 1.8 K near P _C ≈ 2.6 GPa, where long‐range CDW signatures disappear from transport. In striking contrast, high‐pressure, low‐temperature Raman spectroscopy uncovers short‐range CDW correlations that remain hidden to resistivity, emerge beyond P _C , and persist up to ∼10.0 GPa, spanning the entire superconducting dome. Synchrotron X‐ray diffraction detects no structural transition up to 32.4 GPa, indicating that the CDW evolution is electronic in origin. These results establish an unusual phase diagram in which superconductivity develops within a persistent short‐range CDW background, offering new insight into pressure‐tuned collective states in low‐dimensional quantum materials.

Layered transition metal dichalcogenides host a rich landscape of correlated electronic phases that are profoundly sensitive to interlayer coupling. Although both thinning and pressure have been individually used to tune these properties, the high-pressure behavior of low-dimensional systems remains largely unexplored. Here, we propose a synergistic tuning strategy by combination of organic cation intercalation and pressure to simulate the properties of low-dimensional materials under pressure. We show that intercalating cetyltrimethylammonium cations into the bulk 1 T -TaS ₂ significantly weakens the interlayer coupling and leads to an effective reduction in dimensionality. Moreover, the intercalated sample exhibits distinct features under high pressure as compared with non-intercalated one. The superconductivity in the intercalated sample is induced accompanied by a complete suppression of nearly commensurate charge density wave order, differing from the melting of commensurate state in the non-intercalated case. Upon further compression up to 58.1 GPa, the superconductivity displays a dome-shaped evolution, also without showing re-enhancement that presented in the non-intercalated sample. More strikingly, the superconductivity in the intercalated 1 T -TaS ₂ displays signatures of Ising superconductivity, with its in-plane upper critical field exceeding twice the Pauli paramagnetic limit. Our findings not only provide a powerful route for tuning the collective electronic states but also open up possibilities in searching for emergent phenomena in low-dimensional materials.

Pressure engineering in semiconductors leads to a variety of novel physical phenomena and has recently received considerable attention. Here, we report on pressure-induced superconductivity in III–V gallium phosphide (GaP), a commercially important semiconductor that exhibits excellent optical performance. We show that the emergence of superconductivity is accompanied by the concurrence of piezochromic transition and metallization and can be correlated to a structural transition from the cubic to orthorhombic phase. In line with the structural origin of superconductivity, the critical temperature T_c monotonically decreases with increasing pressure up to ~50 GPa. Moreover, the superconductivity could be preserved toward ambient pressure because of the irreversibility of the structural transition. Nevertheless, the superconducting transition displays evident broadening associated with the presence of amorphization in the depressurized sample. The synchronous evolution of the structural and electronic properties not only shows a vivid structure-property relationship but also could facilitate the exploration of novel functionalities by means of pressure treatment.

The discovery of multiple charge-density-wave (CDW) orders in superconducting cuprates and Kagome CsV3Sb5 has offered a unique milieu for studying the interplay of CDW and superconductivity and altered our perspective on their nature. Here, we report a high-pressure study of quasi-one-dimensional CDW material CuTe through ultralow-temperature (400 mK) electrical transport and temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy measurements and first-principles calculations. We provide solid evidence that the pristine CDW order (CDW1) transforms into a distinct CDW order (CDW2) at ~6.5 GPa. Calculations show that the driving force of CDW1 is due to the nesting effect and that of CDW2 probably arises from the electronic correlated interaction. Strikingly, pressure-induced superconductivity is observed with a dome-like phase diagram and its transition displays an extraordinary broadening along with the crossover from CDW1 to CDW2. These results demonstrate that pressurized CuTe provides a promising playground for understanding the intricated interplay of multiple CDWs and superconductivity.