Metallic phase in stoichiometric CeOBiS(2) revealed by space-resolved ARPES

Recently CeOBiS(2) system without any fluorine doping is found to show superconductivity posing question on its origin. Using space resolved ARPES we have found a metallic phase embedded in the morphological defects and at the sample edges of stoichiometric CeOBiS(2). While bulk of the sample is semiconducting, the embedded metallic phase is characterized by the usual electron pocket at X point, similar to the Fermi surface of doped BiS(2)-based superconductors. Typical size of the observed metallic domain is larger than the superconducting correlation length of the system suggesting that the observed superconductivity in undoped CeOBiS(2) might be due to this embedded metallic phase at the defects. The results also suggest a possible way to develop new systems by manipulation of the defects in these chalcogenides with structural instability.