Superconducting Sn1-xInxTe Nanoplates

Recently, the search for Majorana fermions has become one of the most prominent subjects in condensed matter physics. This search involves explorations of new materials and hence offers interesting opportunities for chemistry. Theoretically, Majorana fermions may reside in various types of topological superconductor materials, and superconducting Sn<inf>1-x</inf>In<inf>x</inf>Te, which is a doped topological crystalline insulator, is one of the promising candidates for harboring Majorana fermions. Here, we report the first successful growth of superconducting Sn<inf>1-x</inf>In<inf>x</inf>Te nanoplates on Si substrates by a simple vapor-transport method without employing any catalyst. We observed robust superconducting transitions in those nanoplates after device fabrication and found that the relation between the critical temperature and the carrier density is consistent with that of bulk single crystals, suggesting that the superconducting properties of the nanoplate devices are essentially the same as those of bulk crystals. With the help of nanofabrication, those nanoplates would prove to be useful for elucidating the potentially topological nature of superconductivity in Sn<inf>1-x</inf>In<inf>x</inf>Te to harbor Majorana fermions and thereby contribute to future quantum technologies.