Observation of field-odd and field-free superconducting diode effects in $\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$ nanoflakes
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866911642599555072 |
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| author | Gao, Wei Fan, Kaixuan Li, Menghan Cheng, Jinhao Zhu, Peng Zhang, Qing Ding, Shuaishuai Hu, Wenping Yang, Fan Geng, Dechao Ren, Hechen |
| author_facet | Gao, Wei Fan, Kaixuan Li, Menghan Cheng, Jinhao Zhu, Peng Zhang, Qing Ding, Shuaishuai Hu, Wenping Yang, Fan Geng, Dechao Ren, Hechen |
| contents | The superconducting diode effect (SDE) enables nonreciprocal supercurrent flow, holding immense potential for ultra-low-power quantum electronics. Intrinsic SDE typically requires materials with inherent symmetry breakings. Here, we report the discovery of SDE in chemical vapor deposition-grown molybdenum carbide ($\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$) nanoflakes, a material traditionally considered centrosymmetric. Strikingly, this system uniquely hosts both field-odd and field-free SDEs. Transport measurements reveal a field-odd SDE with tunable efficiency exceeding 40% at 4 K under a perpendicular in-plane magnetic field. In a separate sample, a robust field-free SDE persists under zero-field and field-coolings. Out-of-plane field sweeps confirm the intrinsic nature of these phenomena. We propose that domain-boundary supercurrents or charge density wave-like orders drive this unexpected combination of symmetry breakings. Our findings establish air-stable $\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$ as an ideal platform for nonreciprocal superconducting electronics operating at liquid-helium temperatures, expanding the search for SDE into nominally centrosymmetric superconductors. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_19525 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Observation of field-odd and field-free superconducting diode effects in $\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$ nanoflakes Gao, Wei Fan, Kaixuan Li, Menghan Cheng, Jinhao Zhu, Peng Zhang, Qing Ding, Shuaishuai Hu, Wenping Yang, Fan Geng, Dechao Ren, Hechen Superconductivity Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Materials Science The superconducting diode effect (SDE) enables nonreciprocal supercurrent flow, holding immense potential for ultra-low-power quantum electronics. Intrinsic SDE typically requires materials with inherent symmetry breakings. Here, we report the discovery of SDE in chemical vapor deposition-grown molybdenum carbide ($\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$) nanoflakes, a material traditionally considered centrosymmetric. Strikingly, this system uniquely hosts both field-odd and field-free SDEs. Transport measurements reveal a field-odd SDE with tunable efficiency exceeding 40% at 4 K under a perpendicular in-plane magnetic field. In a separate sample, a robust field-free SDE persists under zero-field and field-coolings. Out-of-plane field sweeps confirm the intrinsic nature of these phenomena. We propose that domain-boundary supercurrents or charge density wave-like orders drive this unexpected combination of symmetry breakings. Our findings establish air-stable $\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$ as an ideal platform for nonreciprocal superconducting electronics operating at liquid-helium temperatures, expanding the search for SDE into nominally centrosymmetric superconductors. |
| title | Observation of field-odd and field-free superconducting diode effects in $\mathrm{Mo}_2\mathrm{C}$ nanoflakes |
| topic | Superconductivity Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics Materials Science |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.19525 |