Molecule-intercalated van der Waals Josephson junctions uncover complex multiband superconductivity
Abstract
Intercalation of molecular species provides a route to tailor the electronic structure in van der Waals superconductors, yet intercalated compounds have rarely been integrated into phase-sensitive quantum devices. Here, we realize hybrid molecular Josephson junctions based on TaS2/NbSe2 heterostructures. Selective intercalation of the TaS2 electrode induces monolayer-like Ising superconductivity, while the junctions exhibit asymmetric Fraunhofer interference, field-induced and spontaneous Josephson diode effects. The zero-field diode disappears upon reversing the electrode stacking and re-emerges after intercalating the lower NbSe2 electrode. These findings indicate that the hybrid superconducting electrode hosts unconventional superconductivity underlying the nonreciprocal transport, while molecular intercalation acts as a tuning knob for its internal phase structure. This behavior is consistent with a time-reversal-symmetry-breaking multiband superconducting state characterized by a nontrivial relative phase between superconducting condensates. Our results establish hybrid molecular Josephson junctions as a quantum-device platform for phase-sensitive investigation and integration of molecularly engineered superconductors, opening opportunities to uncover and engineer unconventional superconducting phases.
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BibTeX
@misc{margineda2026moleculeintercalated,
title = {{Molecule-intercalated van der Waals Josephson junctions uncover complex multiband superconductivity}},
author = {Daniel Margineda and David Caldevilla-Asenjo and Covadonga Álvarez-García and Daniel Tezze and Raul Arenal and Maxim Ilyn and Celia Rogero and Luis E. Hueso and Marco Gobbi},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.16483},
eprint = {2610.16483},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.16483},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Molecule-intercalated van der Waals Josephson junctions uncover complex multiband superconductivity
AU - Daniel Margineda
AU - David Caldevilla-Asenjo
AU - Covadonga Álvarez-García
AU - Daniel Tezze
AU - Raul Arenal
AU - Maxim Ilyn
AU - Celia Rogero
AU - Luis E. Hueso
AU - Marco Gobbi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.16483
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.16483
AB - Intercalation of molecular species provides a route to tailor the electronic structure in van der Waals superconductors, yet intercalated compounds have rarely been integrated into phase-sensitive quantum devices. Here, we realize hybrid molecular Josephson junctions based on TaS2/NbSe2 heterostructures. Selective intercalation of the TaS2 electrode induces monolayer-like Ising superconductivity, while the junctions exhibit asymmetric Fraunhofer interference, field-induced and spontaneous Josephson diode effects. The zero-field diode disappears upon reversing the electrode stacking and re-emerges after intercalating the lower NbSe2 electrode. These findings indicate that the hybrid superconducting electrode hosts unconventional superconductivity underlying the nonreciprocal transport, while molecular intercalation acts as a tuning knob for its internal phase structure. This behavior is consistent with a time-reversal-symmetry-breaking multiband superconducting state characterized by a nontrivial relative phase between superconducting condensates. Our results establish hybrid molecular Josephson junctions as a quantum-device platform for phase-sensitive investigation and integration of molecularly engineered superconductors, opening opportunities to uncover and engineer unconventional superconducting phases.
ER -