STRUCTURE AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY OF Mg(B1-xCx)2 COMPOUNDS

In this paper, we report on the structural properties and superconductivity of Mg(B_1-xC_x)₂ compounds. Powder X-ray diffraction results indicate that the samples crystallize in a hexagonal AlB₂-type structure. Due to the chemical activity of Mg powders, a small amount of MgO impurity phase is detected by X-ray diffraction. The lattice parameters decrease slightly with the increasing carbon content. Magnetization measurements indicate that the non-stoichiometry of MgB₂ has no influence on the superconducting transition temperature and the transition temperature width. The addition of carbon results in a decrease of T_c and an increase of the superconducting transition width, implying the loss of superconductivity.     

Influence of shock-wave pressure up to 65 GPa on the crystal structure and superconducting properties of MgB2

The influence of shock-wave pressure treatment up to 65 GPa on the crystal structure and the superconducting transition temperature of a polycrystalline MgB₂ sample has been investigated. X-ray diffraction measurements have revealed that the shock-wave pressure does not result in any irreversible structural phase transitions in the MgB₂, except for microdistortions formed in the crystal structure of the shock-wave pressure-treated MgB₂ sample. This conclusion is in agreement with the results of superconducting transition temperature measurements of a MgB₂ sample performed before and after its shock-wave pressure treatment.     

第一性原理计算MgB2薄膜拉伸对超导电性的影响

应用全势线性响应线性糕模轨道方法计算MgB₂的电子能带结构、声子谱及电声子耦合常数,并讨论MgB₂的超导电性.通过比较MgB₂薄膜双轴拉伸前后超导电性的变化可以看出，随着a轴晶格常数增大和c轴晶格常数减小,声子谱中硼的E_2g声子频率显著下降，使得电声子耦合强度λ和声子对数平均频率ω_ln增强,提高了MgB₂薄 关键词： 超导电性 能带结构 声子频率 电声子耦合     

STRUCTURE ANALYSIS OF NEW SUPERCONDUCTOR MgB2

The superconductivity of a sintered pellet of the newly discovered MgB₂ superconductor has been studied with magnetic measurements and its crystal structure was analysed using the Rietveld method of powder X-ray patterns. It has hexagonal symmetry (S.G. P6/mmm) with unit cell lattice parameters a=0.308136(14)nm and c=0.351782(17)nm.     

Non-resonant microwave absorption studies of superconducting MgB2 and MgB2 + MgO

Non-resonant microwave absorption (NRMA) studies of superconducting MgB₂ and a sample containing ∼10% by weight of MgO in MgB₂ are reported. The NRMA results indicate near absence of intergranular weak links in the pure MgB₂ sample. A linear temperature dependence of the lower critical field H _c1 is observed indicating a non-s wave superconductivity. However, the phase reversal of the NRMA signal which could suggest d wave symmetry is also not observed. In the MgB₂ + MgO sample, much larger low field dependent absorption is observed indicating the presence of intergranular weak links. The hysteretic behavior of NRMA is compared and contrasted in the two samples. In the pure MgB₂ sample, a large hysteresis is observed between the forward and the reverse scans of the magnetic field indicating strong pinning of flux lines. This hysteresis saturates a few degrees below T _c while in the MgB₂ + MgO sample, a much slower increase of hysteresis with decreasing temperature is observed, a signature of weaker pinning.     

Properties of anisotropic s-wave superconductivity in MgB2

Earlier this year a new type of high-temperature superconductivity has been reported in MgB₂ with a transition temperature of 39 K. In a recent paper we proposed a simple BCS model with an anisotropic s-wave order parameter which accounts for the available thermodynamic and scanning tunneling microscopy data obtained from polycrystalline palets of MgB₂. In this work, we further investigate the physical consequences of this theory by calculating the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity, the nuclear spin relaxation rate, and the angular dependence of the upper critical field.     

Iron doping effect on superconducting properties of MgB2

Iron-doped MgB₂ bulks are prepared by hybridized diffusion method using nano-powder and macro-powder of pure iron as iron source. The doping effect on superconductivity transition temperature, T_c, and critical current J_c have been investigated. It is found that both T_c and J_c of MgB₂ show quite different features depending on the particle size of the dopant powders. It is demonstrated that different from iron bulk or large size powders, iron nano-powders are active dopant for MgB₂ which suppresses both T_c and J_c of MgB₂.     

超导材料NbS2上临界磁场的理论分析

根据两带Ginzburg-Landau 理论计算了层状超导材料NbS₂的上临界磁场, 以及上临界磁场各向异性参数随温度的变化情况, 并将NbS₂与MgB₂, NbSe₂上临界磁场的各向异性进行比较. 所得计算结果与已有实验数据符合得很好, 充分说明了NbS₂的超导电性具有两能隙特征. NbS₂上临界磁场各向异性参数在5.0 K附近逐渐变小, 这与MgB₂和NbSe₂有相似之处. 但NbS₂的上临界磁场各向异性参数大约为7.3, 明显大于MgB₂和NbSe₂. 计算结果还表明, NbS₂较大能隙所对应能带的有效质量比约为54, 另一能带的有效质量基本为各向同性.     

Multiple superconducting phases in heavy fermion compounds PrOs4Sb12 and CeCoIn5

In recently discovered heavy fermion compounds, quasi-two-dimensional CeCoIn₅ and skutterudite PrOs₄Sb₁₂, multiple superconducting phases with different symmetries manifest themselves belowT _c. The angle-resolved magnetothermal transport measurements revealed that in PrOs₄Sb₁₂ a novel change in the symmetry of the superconducting gap function occurs deep inside the superconducting state. The ultrasound velocity measurements revealed that in CeCoIn5 the Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinikov (FFLO) phase, in which the order parameter is spatially modulated and has planar nodes aligned perpendicular to the vortices, appears at low temperature and high field. These results open up a new realm for the study of the superconductivity with multiple phases.     

HIGH-PRESSURE SYNTHESIS OF MgB2 SUPER-CONDUCTOR WITH Tc ABOVE 39 K

We report on the high-pressure synthesis and superconductivity of MgB₂ intermetallic compounds. The compounds have been obtained through high-pressure sintering of the mixtures of magnesium and boron fine powders under 5.0 GPa and at ～1000℃ for 30 min. Magnetic measurements using a SQUID magnetometer show the sharp bulk superconducting transition above 39 K; the four-probe dc resistivity measurements indicate the highly-conductive normal state and sharp superconducting transition. The results highlight that high-pressure synthesis would be a promising way to promote the studies of this new kind of intermetallic superconductors.     

Materials and mechanisms of hole superconductivity

The theory of hole superconductivity proposes that there is a single mechanism of superconductivity that applies to all superconducting materials. This paper discusses several material families where superconductivity occurs and how they can be understood within this theory. Materials discussed include the elements, transition metal alloys, high T_c cuprates both hole-doped and electron-doped, MgB₂, iron pnictides and iron chalcogenides, doped semiconductors, and elements under high pressure.     

Effect of shock-wave compression up to 65 GPa on the crystal structure and superconducting properties of MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

The effect of steplike shock-wave compression up to 65 GPa on the crystal structure and super-conducting transition temperature of a polycrystalline MgB₂ sample is studied. X-ray diffraction demonstrates that the shock-wave compression of the MgB₂ sample does not cause any irreversible structural phase transformations in it except for the formation of lattice microstrains. These conclusions agree with the super-conducting transition temperatures of the MgB₂ sample measured before and after shock-wave compression.     

原子簇La8-xBaxCuO6的原子磁矩和自旋极化的电子结构研究

利用MS-Xα方法研究了化合物La_2-yBa_yCuO₄的原子磁矩和自旋极化的电子结构.理论计算得到母相氧化物La₂CuO₄的Cu原子磁矩为0.37μ_B，与实验值0.48±0.15μ_B基本一致. 研究结果显示, 由于Ba原子对部分La的替代，使构成化合物的基本原子簇La_8-xBa_xCuO₆的 关键词： 电子结构 自旋极化 磁矩 态密度 超导电性     

Synthesis and superconductivity of MgB2/Fe–Se–Te composites

MgB₂/FeSe_0.75Te_0.25 composites were synthesized to see the effect of the co-existence of superconducting phases on the superconductivity. MgB₂ powders were mixed with pre-alloyed FeSe_0.75Te_0.25 or elemental powder mixture, followed by sintering at 400 °C. The resulting materials were superconducting MgB₂/FeSe_0.75Te_0.25 composites without impurity phase when using pre-alloyed FeSe_0.75Te_0.25 as a starting powder. When FeSe_0.75Te_0.25 was prepared by in situ reaction from the elemental powder mixture of Fe–Se–Te, on the other hand, non-superconducting impurity phases partly formed after sintering. No double superconducting transition was observed in MgB₂/FeSe_0.75Te_0.25 composites in spite of coexistence of two superconducting phases.     

X-ray photoemission study of MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript> films synthesized from in-situ annealed MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>/Mg multilayers

Superconducting MgB₂ films were obtained by in-situ annealing of precursor multilayers deposited at low substrate temperature by sputtering from a MgB₂ stoichiometric target and by thermal evaporation of pure Mg. After an in-situ annealing at 500–600 °C, the films showed a zero resistance critical temperature up to 31 K. The as-obtained MgB₂ films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray auger electron spectroscopy (XAES). The electronic structure was studied by monitoring the B 1s, Mg 2p, O 1s core-levels and the Mg KL₂L₃ Auger line. For comparison, the electronic structure of an MgB₂ commercial superconducting sputtering target, of a not-annealed precursor film and of a sample obtained by direct sputtering from the MgB₂ target have also been investigated. Electron spectroscopy showed that in the superconducting systems the Mg KL₂L₃ Auger line kinetic energy position is always higher by about 0.9 eV with respect to the energy position of the same Auger line measured in the non-superconducting samples. PACS 74.25Jb; 74.78.Bz; 74.70.Ad     

AlB2 and MgB2: a comparative study of their electronic,phonon and superconductivity properties via first principles

ABSTRACT

Recently, the AlB₂-type compounds (such as AlB₂ and MgB₂) which exhibit Dirac Nodal Line (DNLs) semimetal on their electronic band structure and Phononic Weyl Nodal Straight Lines (PTWNLs) on their phonon spectrum, have received wide attentions on their novel properties. Up to date, no comparative studies have been investigated on their electronic structures, phonon spectrum, and electron phonon coupling (EPC) under the conditions of carrier doping and strain engineering. Here, we systemically investigate their above properties under carrier doping and strain engineering by first-principles calculations. The results show that the superconducting transition temperature T _c can be enhanced by electron doping and tensile strain. For AlB₂, the tensile strain of 6% can enhance T _c to 10.25?K and with the doping concentrate of 0.1 e^- per cell can enhance T _c reach to 9.89?K. Moreover, the physical quantities related to superconductivity of AlB₂ are more affected by carrier doping than MgB₂. Our results provide a theoretical reference to explore the correlation between electronic and phonon topological properties in AlB₂-type materials.     

Experimental study of electron-phonon properties in ZrB 2

High quality samples and absence of superconductivity down to 40 mK make of ZrB₂ the best normal state reference system for the superconducting isostructural MgB₂. Actually, the question of pairing has to be focused on the electron-phonon interaction in the normal state. After presenting the resistivity measurements of ZrB₂, we explain the details of the Bloch-Grüneisen and Einstein models used to deduce the first results. We then compare experimental de Haas-van Alphen effect data with theoretical Fermi surfaces to present additional results on electron quasi-particle renormalization. The estimations reveal an isotropic and negligible coupling constant of in average 0.145. The contribution of the coupling to the optical phonon modes is 0.082, in contrast to the known larger coupling of 0.283 [3] to the E_2g phonon mode in MgB₂.     

X-ray absorption spectroscopic study of a hot pressed MgB2

X-ray near edge absorption spectra (XANES) of boron and oxygen K edge of a hot-pressed MgB₂ (HP2) sample were measured by using synchrotron radiation. The HP2 was produced by annealing a commercial powder of MgB₂ in ambient air under a hydrostatic pressure of 2.0 GPa at 900 °C. No substantial change of the electronic structure in HP2 was observed as indicated in the B K-edge XANES. This sample maintains high superconductivity and enhances the critical current density. The XANES and the XRD combined indicate that both MgO and B₂O₃ in HP2 increase and more B₂O₃ than MgO was produced during the hot-press process. The better connection of the grain in HP2 can be the major cause to increase its critical current density. However, the impurity may also increase the flux pinning and therefore increases the current density.     

Two regimes in the magnetic field response of superconducting MgB<Subscript>2</Subscript>

Using Scanning Tunneling Microscope at low temperature we explore the superconducting phase diagram in the π-band of the two-band superconductor MgB₂. In this band the peculiar shape of the local tunneling spectra and their dynamics in the magnetic field reveal the complex character of the quasiparticle density of states (DOS). The gap in the DOS is first rapidly filled with states in raising the magnetic field up to 0.5 T and then slowly approaches the normal state value: the gap is observed up to 2 T. Such a change in the DOS dynamics suggests the existence of two terms in the DOS of the π-band: a first one, reflecting an intrinsic superconductivity in the band and a second one, originating from an inter-band coupling to the σ-band. Our findings allow a deeper understanding of the unique phase diagram of MgB₂.