Surface superconductivity in rhombohedral graphite is a robust phenomenon which can exist even when higher order hoppings between the layers lift the topological protection of the surface flat band and introduce a quadratic dispersion of electrons with a heavy effective mass. We show that for weak pairing interaction, the flat-band character of the surface superconductivity transforms into a BCS-like relation with high critical temperature characterized by a higher coupling constant due to a much larger density of states than in the bulk. Our results offer an explanation for the recent findings of graphite superconductivity with an unusually high transition temperature.

• Received 26 October 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.140503