Allotropic transition of Dirac semimetal α-Sn to superconductor β-Sn induced by focused-ion-beam irradiation

Abstract

Diamond-type structure allotrope α-Sn is attracting much attention as a topological Dirac semimetal (TDS). In this study, we demonstrate that α-Sn undergoes a phase transition to another allotrope β-Sn with superconductivity at low temperature by irradiating with a focused Ga ion beam (FIB). To clarify the transition mechanism, we performed x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on an α-Sn thin film irradiated with FIB and an as-grown α-Sn thin film. The XPS results suggest that the local annealing, which is one of the side effects of FIB, causes the transformation from α-Sn into β-Sn. Furthermore, the difference in the chemical states between α-Sn and β-Sn can be quantitatively explained by the crystal structures rather than the degree of metallicity reflecting the conductivity. These results propose a way of fabricating TDS/superconductor in-plane heterostructures based on α-Sn and β-Sn.