Superconductivity in Pd-intercalated charge-density-wave rare earth poly-tellurides RETen

Charge density waves (CDWs) are periodic modulations of the conduction electron density in solids, which are generally considered to remove electrons from the Fermi level, and thus preclude a superconducting state. However, in a variety of CDW materials, such as the prototypical transition metal chalcogenides, superconductivity has also been observed at very low temperature (Yokoya et al 2001 Science 294 2518; Morosan et al 2006 Nat. Phys. 2 544; Kiss et al 2007 Nat. Phys. 3 720), in which, although the two electronic correlated states are believed to occur in different parts of Fermi surface sheets derived mainly from chalcogen p-states and transition metal d-states, the nature of the relationship between them has not yet been unambiguously determined. Here we report the discovery of superconductivity in Pd-intercalated RETen (RE = rare earth; n = 2.5, 3) CDW systems, in which the chalcogen layers alone are responsible for both superconductivity and CDW instability. Our finding could provide an ideal model system for comprehensive study of the interplay between CDW and superconductivity due to the remarkable simplicity of the electronic structure of Te planes.