Coexistence of superconductivity and charge-density wave in the quasi-one-dimensional material HfTe.

We present the first experimental evidence for metallicity, superconductivity (SC) and the co-existence of charge density waves (CDW) in the quasi-one-dimensional material HfTe. The existence of such phenomena is a typical characteristic of the transition metal chalcogenides however, without the application of hydrostatic pressure/chemical doping, it is rare for a material to exhibit the co-existence of both states. Materials such as HfTe can therefore provide us with a unique insight into the relationship between these multiple ordered states.