Three-dimensional networks of superconducting NbSe2 flakes with nearly isotropic large upper critical field

Abstract

Increasing the upper critical field Hc2 in superconductors is one of the most significant requirements for superconducting applications. Two-dimensional (2D) noncentrosymmetric NbSe2 is a promising candidate because its pair breaking is protected by the spin-momentum locking effect, resulting in a giant in-plane Hc2 (~50 T). However, the strong anisotropy of 2D NbSe2 suppresses the robustness of out-of-plane Hc2 (<5 T). To overcome this issue, we propose a synthetic approach to produce superconducting NbSe2 films with a nearly isotropic large Hc2. Scalable selenization methods are tailored to create 3D superconducting networks in which 2D NbSe2 flakes are vertically aligned to the substrates. The angle-resolved magneto-transports reveal enhanced Hc2 values that exceed 20 T for arbitrary directions under externally applied magnetic fields. The isotropic nature of Hc2 is attributed to the averaging intrinsic anisotropy of NbSe2 through 3D structured films, which was determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. The proposed synthetic approach will provide a new method for creating practical superconductors that are robust against magnetic fields.