REVIEW 3 major objections 6 minor 1 cited by
Misfit layered superconductor (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 with possible layer-selective FFLO state
T0 review · 3 major / 6 minor · reviewed 2026-08-15 · deepseek-v4-flash
Pith's one-line read Inside the zero-resistance state of (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3, a second phase appears at high in-plane field, identified as a layer-selective FFLO state.
desk verdict A solid experimental paper with a real discovery—an anomalous high-field phase in a bulk 2D superconductor—but the phase identification as layer-selective FFLO leans on an unpublished companion theory and a qualitative TDO feature. read the letter →
The pith
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
The reading
What carries the argument
The load-bearing object is the misfit structure itself: incommensurate PbSe block layers alternate with 2Ha-stacked NbSe2 tri-layers, electrically isolating each tri-layer so that Ising spin-orbit pairing and a long mean free path survive in a bulk crystal. On the measurement side, the tunnel diode oscillator is the decisive probe: its second derivative with respect to field shows two peaks, the higher one marking the upper critical field and the lower one marking $B_2$, the boundary where the system leaves the uniform Ising phase. On the theory side, a companion mean-field calculation for tri-layer NbSe2 with Zeeman-type Ising spin-orbit coupling predicts a layer-selective FFLO phase, defined as a state in which $q=0$ and finite-$q$ order parameters mix across layers: FF-like finite-momentum pairing on the outer layers, an induced LO-like component in the middle layer, and a proximately induced uniform component shared by all three layers.
What would settle it
Grow the monolayer- and bilayer-NbSe2 members of the same misfit family and repeat the TDO and angle-resolved critical-field measurements: if a $B_2$ anomaly still appears without a tri-layer block, the layer-selective interpretation fails. Alternatively, use layer-resolved NMR in the high-field phase: if all three NbSe2 layers show uniform order, or if no separate phase boundary appears between $B_2$ and $B_{c2}$, the proposed layer-selective FFLO state is ruled out.
Extended reading notes
Core claim
The central claim is that (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 has not one but two superconducting phases under an in-plane magnetic field. At low fields the state is the usual $q=0$ Ising superconducting phase, made robust by inversion-symmetry breaking and Ising spin-orbit coupling in each NbSe2 layer. Above a well-defined field $B_2$, which the TDO data place near 27 T at low temperature, a second zero-resistance phase appears; the authors identify it as a layer-selective FFLO phase. In that phase the top and bottom NbSe2 monolayers develop FF-like finite-momentum order, the middle monolayer develops an induced LO-like component, and a uniform component is proximately induced in all layers, so uniform and modulated pairing coexist. The evidence is a kink in $B_{c2}(T)$ near 3 K, an angle dependence of $B_{c2}$ that deviates from the standard two-dimensional critical-field curve only within about two degrees of the in-plane direction, and a clear TDO second-derivative signature whose field position matches the value where the angle-resolved fit changes. The kink and the TDO anomaly are absent in exfoliated tri-layer and bulk NbSe2, which the authors attribute to the isolation of the tri-layers by the PbSe block layers.
Load-bearing premise
The load-bearing premise is that the companion mean-field calculation correctly describes clean tri-layer NbSe2 with Ising spin-orbit coupling, and that the measured kink in the upper critical field and the TDO anomaly $B_2$ are the same predicted phase boundary rather than unrelated background effects.
Editorial extensions
If this is right
- At low temperatures the zero-resistance state of (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 is split at about 27 T into a low-field $q=0$ Ising phase and a high-field layer-selective FFLO phase.
- The in-plane upper critical field reaches roughly 40 T, about four times the Pauli limit, showing how strongly Ising pairing raises the depairing field in this bulk compound.
- Below the kink temperature, the angle dependence of $B_{c2}$ cannot follow a single two-dimensional critical-field curve, so the high-field phase has a different order parameter.
- Because the kink is missing in exfoliated tri-layer and bulk NbSe2, physically separating the tri-layers with PbSe block layers is necessary for the layer-selective FFLO phase.
- Misfit bulk compounds allow transitions inside the zero-resistance state to be seen with thermodynamic probes such as TDO, beyond what resistivity alone can show in small exfoliated flakes.
Reading between the lines
- If the tri-layer is the essential ingredient, the $B_2$ anomaly should vanish or shift when the superconducting block is changed to a monolayer or a bilayer of NbSe2; this is a testable extension not stated in the paper.
- Layer-resolved NMR inside the high-field phase should detect different local susceptibilities on the outer and middle NbSe2 layers, giving direct microscopic evidence of the mixed FF-like and LO-like order.
- The same TDO and angle-resolved protocol applied to other members of the misfit family could map how the layer-selective FFLO phase depends on the number of NbSe2 layers per block, turning this compound into a tunable test bed for finite-momentum superconductivity.
Signed reviews
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. The manuscript reports single-crystal synthesis, structural characterization, and transport/TDO measurements on the misfit layered superconductor (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3. The authors show bulk 2D Ising superconductivity with Tc ~ 5.1 K, an in-plane upper critical field that exceeds the Pauli limit, a kink in Bc2(T) near 3 K, and a two-regime angle dependence of Bc2 at 0.7 K. TDO measurements reveal two field-induced anomalies inside the zero-resistance state, B1 and B2; the paper assigns B2 to a phase boundary between q = 0 Ising superconductivity and a layer-selective FFLO state predicted by an unpublished co-authored theory (ref 31). The paper presents this as evidence for a previously unobserved superconducting phase in a bulk 2D system.
Significance. If the assignment is correct, this would be the first report of a layer-selective FFLO phase in a bulk 2D superconductor, and the misfit-layer platform would be a promising route to interlayer-engineered superconductivity. The experimental work is substantial: it combines clean single-crystal growth, resistive phase diagrams, angle-dependent critical-field measurements, and TDO-based bulk detection of an anomaly inside the zero-resistance state. The manuscript is also honest about several limitations. Its main weakness is that the phase identification is not quantitatively tested: the theoretical boundary in Fig. 5 cannot be compared with the measured B2(T) because the temperature dependence of that boundary is not calculated, and the conclusion defers microscopic verification to future NMR experiments.
major comments (3)
- [Discussion, Fig. 5; abstract] The identification of the high-field phase as layer-selective FFLO is load-bearing for the abstract, but it is imported from ref 31, a submitted co-authored paper, and the present text explicitly states that 'the calculation of temperature dependence of the phase boundary still remains a challenge.' Consequently, the black dashed line in Fig. 5 cannot be quantitatively compared with the measured B2(T) in Fig. 4. The only quantitative link offered is that B2 ~ 27 T is 'consistent with' Bc2^ab = 29.1 T from a 0.7 K fit, with no uncertainty or matching criterion. Please either include the full theory and a quantitative fit to B2(T), or soften the abstract and Discussion to 'consistent with a possible layer-selective FFLO state.'
- [TDO measurement, Figs. 3e, 3f] The premise that B2 is an electronic phase boundary is not secured. B2 is identified as a peak in the second derivative of the TDO frequency, while the same dataset contains B1, attributed to Josephson-vortex melting. A vortex-lattice order-disorder transition, depinning, or a dimensional crossover of Josephson vortices can also produce such a peak in the second derivative. The manuscript does not provide a discriminating test, such as the angle dependence of B2, a heat-capacity or thermal-conductivity signature, or a theoretical prediction for the TDO response at the predicted phase boundary.
- [Resistivity Bc2, Fig. 2f] The angle-dependent Bc2 analysis at 0.7 K uses two Tinkham fits with different Bc2^c values (1.00 T for the near-90° region and 1.55 T for the rest), but no fit residuals or error bars are shown, and Bc2 is defined as the transport midpoint. Because the two-regime behavior is central evidence for a new phase, please quantify the quality of the fits and demonstrate that the deviation from a single Tinkham formula is not an artifact of the midpoint definition applied to broad transitions.
minor comments (6)
- [Fig. 3 caption] The caption contains 'd2B/dF2' where the text and data require 'd2F/dB2'; please correct this typo.
- [Fig. 2f and main text] The main text and Fig. 2f give two different Bc2^c values for the 0.7 K fits (1.00 T for the light blue region and 1.55 T for the black dashed curve). Please check these values and make the caption, the main text, and the figure consistent.
- [Methods] The sentence 'the coil was a part of the self-resonance circuit made of the tunnel diode' and the phrase 'a double counter would pick-up coil' appear to contain typos; the latter should likely read 'a double counter-wound pick-up coil.'
- [Acknowledgments] The acknowledgment names 'M.H.' but the author list includes 'H.M.'; please correct the initials.
- [Title and abstract] The title says 'possible layer-selective FFLO state' and the Conclusion speaks of 'the theoretical consideration implies,' while the abstract states that the phase 'is identified.' Please harmonize the strength of the claim across the title, abstract, results, and conclusion.
- [Phase diagram, Fig. 4] The Bc2 points are reported without error bars or a statement of the transition width used to define the midpoint. Adding uncertainties, or at least reporting the 10-90% width, would make the kink and the comparison with B2 more quantitative.
Circularity Check
No circularity: the layer-selective FFLO assignment rests on an independent companion theory, and the experimental anomalies are measured rather than fitted.
full rationale
The paper's central claim is that the high-field phase in (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 is a layer-selective FFLO state. This is an interpretation based on two independent inputs: (i) measured anomalies—the kink in the in-plane upper critical field, the two-regime angle dependence of Bc2, and the TDO-derived B2 feature—and (ii) a separate mean-field calculation for tri-layer NbSe2 (ref. 31, co-authored by two of the present authors). The text does not fit the theory to the B2 data; instead, it explicitly states that 'the calculation of temperature dependence of the phase boundary still remains a challenge' (Discussion), and the experimental B2(T) is only qualitatively compared with the theoretical boundary. Thus the phase identity is not defined in terms of the measured B2, nor is B2 a fitted parameter relabeled as a prediction. The reliance on a submitted companion paper by overlapping authors is a legitimate concern about independent verification, but under the stated rules it does not constitute circularity because the theory is an externally falsifiable calculation whose assumptions (tri-layer NbSe2 structure and Ising spin-orbit coupling) do not include the target experimental result. The measured B2 and the theoretical boundary are distinct quantities; the paper's attribution is an inference, not a derivation by construction. Therefore no circular step can be exhibited from the manuscript text.
Assumptions & free parameters
free parameters (4)
- A (amplitude of 2D Tinkham fit for in-plane Bc2 above kink) =
29.0 T
- Bc2_ab and Bc2_c for the inner Tinkham fit at 0.7 K =
38.0 T and 1.00 T
- Bc2_ab and Bc2_c for the outer Tinkham fit at 0.7 K =
29.1 T and 1.55 T
- Theoretical model parameters in the mean-field calculation (SI section V, ref 31) =
not specified in main text
assumptions (4)
- domain assumption Tri-layer NbSe2 units are electronically decoupled by PbSe block layers, preserving isolated 2D tri-layer behavior in bulk.
- domain assumption The resistive midpoint (R/RN = 0.5) defines the true upper critical field Bc2.
- domain assumption The TDO B2 second-derivative peak is a genuine superconducting phase boundary, not an instrumental artifact.
- ad hoc to paper The mean-field theory of ref 31 for tri-layer NbSe2 is correct and its phase boundary corresponds to the measured kink and B2 line.
invented entities (1)
-
Layer-selective FFLO phase (mixed q=0 and finite-q order parameters in the tri-layer NbSe2 unit)
Cite this review
Pith. "Pith review of Misfit layered superconductor (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 with possible layer-selective FFLO state." pith.science (2026). https://pith.science/paper/VFQHIB3P
@misc{pith2026250614106,
author = {Pith},
title = {Pith review of: Misfit layered superconductor (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 with possible layer-selective FFLO state},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://pith.science/paper/VFQHIB3P}},
note = {Machine review of arXiv:2506.14106}
}
read the original abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) superconductors are known for their novel emergent phenomena, however, lack of experimental probes beyond resistivity has hindered further exploration of diverse superconducting states. Bulk 2D superconductors, with superconducting layers separated by non-superconducting layers, offer a unique opportunity to break this limit. Here, we synthesized a single crystal of misfit layered compound (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3, composed of alternately stacked tri-layer NbSe2 and non-superconducting block layers with incompatible unit cells. Due to its unique structure, 2D Ising superconductivity is maintained even in a bulk form. Resistivity and tunnel diode oscillator measurements reveal two distinct superconducting phases in magnetic field vs. temperature phase diagram. Combined with the theoretical analysis, the high-magnetic-field phase is identified as a layer-selective Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase, where Ising and finite-q superconductivity are mixed due to the tri-layer structure. Bulk 2D superconductors with misfit structure offer a novel opportunity for understanding of 2D superconductivity through bulk measurements and interlayer engineering.
Figures
Forward citations
Cited by 1 Pith paper
-
Orbital FFLO and layer-selective FFLO phases in trilayer NbSe$_2$
Trilayer NbSe2 is predicted to host a layer-selective FFLO superconducting phase in which finite-momentum and zero-momentum Cooper pairs coexist.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Keimer, B., Kivelson, S. A., Norman, M. R., Uchida, S. & Zaanen, J. From quantum matter to high -temperature superconductivity in copper oxides. Nature 518, 179–186 (2015)
work page 2015
-
[2]
Qiu, D. et al. Recent advances in 2D superconductors. Advanced Materials 33, 2006124 (2021)
work page 2021
-
[3]
Xi, X. et al. Ising pairing in superconducting NbSe 2 atomic layers. Nat Phys 12, 139– 143 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[4]
Ye, J. T. et al. Superconducting dome in a gate-tuned band insulator. Science 338, 1193– 1196 (2012)
work page 2012
-
[5]
Yu, Y . et al. High-temperature superconductivity in monolayer Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ. Nature 575, 156–163 (2019)
work page 2019
-
[6]
Cao, Y . et al. Unconventional superconductivity in magic-angle graphene superlattices. Nature 556, 43–50 (2018)
2018
-
[7]
Saito, Y . et al. Superconductivity protected by spin -valley locking in ion -gated MoS2. Nat Phys 12, 144–149 (2016)
work page 2016
-
[8]
Lu, J. M. et al. Evidence for two -dimensional Ising superconductivity in gated MoS 2. Science 350, 1353–1357 (2015)
work page 2015
Show all 50 references
-
[9]
& Ferrell, R
Fulde, P. & Ferrell, R. A. Superconductivity in a strong spin -exchange field. Physical Review 135, A550 (1964)
1964
-
[10]
Larkin, A. I. & Ovchinnikov, Y . N. Nonuniform state of superconductors. Sov. Phys. JETP 20, 762 (1965)
1965
-
[11]
Fulde-Ferrell state in quasi-two-dimensional superconductors
Shimahara, H. Fulde-Ferrell state in quasi-two-dimensional superconductors. Phys Rev B 50, 12760–12765 (1994)
1994
-
[12]
Cho, C. W. et al. Evidence for the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov state in bulk NbS2. Nat Commun 12, 3616 (2021)
2021
-
[13]
Devarakonda, A. et al. Clean 2D superconductivity in a bulk van der Waals superlattice. Science 370, 231–236 (2020)
2020
-
[14]
Wan, P. et al. Orbital Fulde –Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov state in an Ising superconductor. Nature 619, 46–51 (2023)
2023
-
[15]
Croitoru, M. D. & Buzdin, A. I. In search of unambiguous evidence of the Fulde – Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov state in quasi-low dimensional superconductors. Condens Matter 2, 30 (2017)
2017
-
[16]
Sugiura, S. et al. Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov and vortex phases in a layered organic superconductor. NPJ Quantum Mater 4, 7 (2019)
2019
-
[17]
Uji, S. et al. Quantum vortex melting and phase diagram in the layered organic superconductor κ -(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2. Phys Rev B 97, (2018)
2018
-
[18]
Cho, K. et al. Upper critical field in the organic superconductor β″- (ET)2SF5CH2CF2SO3: Possibility of Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state. Phys Rev B 79, 220507 (2009)
2009
-
[19]
Coniglio, W. A. et al. Superconducting phase diagram and FFLO signature in λ-(BETS) 2GaCl4 from rf penetration depth measurements. Phys Rev B 83, 224507 (2011)
2011
-
[20]
Agosta, C. C. et al. Experimental and semiempirical method to determine the Pauli - limiting field in quasi -two-dimensional superconductors as applied to κ-(BEDT-TTF) 2Cu(NCS)2: Strong evidence of a FFLO state. Phys Rev B 85, 214514 (2012)
2012
-
[21]
& Kindo, K
Imajo, S. & Kindo, K. The FFLO state in the dimer Mott organic superconductor κ- (BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br. Crystals (Basel) 11, 1358 (2021)
2021
-
[22]
Cho, C. W. et al. Thermodynamic Evidence for the Fulde -Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov State in the KFe2As2 Superconductor. Phys Rev Lett 119, 217002 (2017). 16
2017
-
[23]
Kasahara, S. et al. Evidence for an Fulde -Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov state with segmented vortices in the BCS-BEC-crossover superconductor FeSe. Phys Rev Lett 124, 107001 (2020)
2020
-
[24]
Ok, J. M. et al. Observation of in-plane magnetic field induced phase transitions in FeSe. Phys Rev B 101, 224509 (2020)
2020
-
[25]
Devarakonda, A. et al. Signatures of bosonic Landau levels in a finite -momentum superconductor. Nature 599, 51–56 (2021)
2021
-
[26]
Samuely, P. et al. Extreme in-plane upper critical magnetic fields of heavily doped quasi- two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides. Phys Rev B 104, 224507 (2021)
2021
-
[27]
Göhler, F. et al. Charge transfer in (PbSe)1+δ(NbSe2)2 and (SnSe)1+δ(NbSe2)2 ferecrystals investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy. Journal of Physics Condensed Matter 30, 055001 (2018)
2018
-
[28]
Oosawa, Y . et al. Three types of ternary selenides with layered composite crystal structures formed in the Pb-Nb-Se system. Jpn J Appl Phys 31, L1096–L1099 (1992)
1992
-
[29]
A., Meerschautc, " A & Lafond, A
Nader, A., Briggs, J. A., Meerschautc, " A & Lafond, A. Superconductivity in the misfit layer compound (PbSe)1.12(NbSe2)2. Solid State Commun 102, 401–403 (1997)
1997
-
[30]
Grosse, C. et al. Superconducting ferecrystals: Turbostratically disordered atomic-scale layered (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)n thin films. Sci Rep 6, 33457 (2016)
2016
-
[31]
and Yanase,Y
Chazono, M. and Yanase,Y. Orbital FFLO and layer -selective FFLO phases in trilayer NbSe2. Submitted
-
[32]
Sohn, E. et al. An unusual continuous paramagnetic -limited superconducting phase transition in 2D NbSe2. Nat Mater 17, 504–508 (2018)
2018
-
[33]
Cho, C. W. et al. Competition between orbital effects, Pauli limiting, and Fulde-Ferrell- Larkin-Ovchinnikov states in 2D transition metal dichalcogenide superconductors. New J Phys 24, 083001 (2022)
2022
-
[34]
Effect of fluxoid on transitions of superconducting films
Tinkham, M. Effect of fluxoid on transitions of superconducting films. Physical Review 129, 2413–2422 (1963)
1963
-
[35]
P.; Samokhin, K
Mineev, V . P.; Samokhin, K. V . Helical phases in superconductors. Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics 78, 401–409 (1994)
1994
-
[36]
& Sigrist, M
Yanase, Y . & Sigrist, M. Helical superconductivity in non -centrosymmetric superconductors with dominantly spin triplet pairing. J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 77, 342 –344 (2008)
2008
-
[37]
& Yanase, Y
Watanabe, T., Yoshida, T. & Yanase, Y . Odd-parity superconductivity by competing spin- orbit coupling and orbital effect in artificial heterostructures. Phys Rev B 92, 174502 (2015)
2015
-
[38]
& Yanase, Y
Masutomi, R., Okamoto, T. & Yanase, Y . Unconventional superconducting phases in multilayer films with layer -dependent Rashba spin-orbit interactions. Phys Rev B 101, 184502 (2020)
2020
-
[39]
Naritsuka, M. et al. Emergent exotic superconductivity in artificially engineered tricolor Kondo superlattices. Phys Rev B 96, 174512 (2017)
2017
-
[40]
Khim, S. et al. Field-induced transition within the superconducting state of CeRh 2As2. Science 373, 1012–1016 (2021)
2021
-
[41]
& Yanase, Y
Nogaki, K., Daido, A., Ishizuka, J. & Yanase, Y . Topological crystalline superconductivity in locally noncentrosymmetric. Phys Rev Res 3, L032071 (2021)
2021
-
[42]
& Yanase, Y
Nakamura, Y . & Yanase, Y . Odd-parity superconductivity in bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides. Phys Rev B 96, 054501 (2017)
2017
-
[43]
& Yanase, Y
Yoshida, T., Sigrist, M. & Yanase, Y . Pair -density wave states through spin -orbit coupling in multilayer superconductors. Phys Rev B Condens Matter Mater Phys 86, 134514 (2012)
2012
-
[44]
Liu, C. X. Unconventional superconductivity in bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides. 17 Phys Rev Lett 118, 087001 (2017)
2017
-
[45]
Coffey, T. et al. Measuring radio frequency properties of materials in pulsed magnetic fields with a tunnel diode oscillator. Review of Scientific Instruments 71, 4600–4606 (2000)
2000
-
[46]
Chia, E. E. M. et al. Observation of the spontaneous vortex phase in the weakly ferromagnetic superconductor ErNi 2B2C: Penetration depth study. Europhys Lett 73, 772–778 (2006)
2006
-
[47]
de Gennes, P. G. Superconductivity of Metals and Alloys. CRC Press (1966)
1966
-
[48]
Sugiura, S. et al. Fermi surface structure and isotropic stability of Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin- Ovchinnikov phase in layered organic superconductor β′′-(BEDT-TTF)2SF5CH2CF2SO3. Crystals (Basel) 11, 1525 (2021)
2021
-
[49]
& Morari, C
Sticlet, D. & Morari, C. Topological superconductivity from magnetic impurities on monolayer NbSe2. Phys Rev B 100, 075420 (2019)
2019
-
[50]
Ilić, S., Meyer, J. S. & Houzet, M. Enhancement of the upper critical field in disordered transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers. Phys Rev Lett 119, 117001 (2017). 18 Fig. 1 | Crystal structure and superconducting properties of (PbSe)1.14(NbSe2)3 microdevice. a, Schematic ...
2017
Reviewed August 15, 2026 · model on record in the stance chip above.
Discussion (0). Continue with ORCID to comment.