Topological surface superconductivity in PtBi2

Abstract

Trigonal PtBi2 is a layered Van der Waals semimetal without inversion symmetry, featuring 12 Weyl points in the vicinity of the Fermi energy. We present and discuss the experimental evidence that its topological Fermi arcs superconduct at low temperatures where bulk superconductivity is absent. With first-principles calculations we investigate in detail the bulk and surface electronic structure of PtBi2, and discuss the spin texture as well as the momentum-dependent localization of the arcs. Motivated by the experimentally observed recovery of inversion symmetry under pressure or upon doping, we interpolate between the two structures and determine the energy and momentum dependence of the Weyl nodes. For deeper insights into the surface superconductivity of PtBi2, we present a symmetry-adapted effective four-band model that accurately reproduces the Weyl points of PtBi2. We supplement this model with an analysis of the symmetry-allowed pairings between the Fermi arcs, which naturally m...