Three-dimensional MgB2-type superconductivity in hole-doped diamond

We substantiate by numerical and analytical calculations that the recently discovered superconductivity below 4 K in 3% boron-doped diamond is caused by electron-phonon coupling of the same type as in MgB2, albeit in three dimensions. Holes at the top of the zone-centered, degenerate sigma-bonding valence-band couple strongly to the optical bond-stretching modes. The increase from two to three dimensions reduces the mode softening crucial for T(c) reaching 40 K in MgB2. Even if diamond had the same bare coupling constant as MgB2, which could be achieved with 10% doping, T(c) would be only 25 K. Superconductivity above 1 K in Si (Ge) requires hole doping beyond 5% (10%).     

Boron isotope effect in superconducting MgB2

We report the preparation method of and boron isotope effect for MgB2, a new binary intermetallic superconductor with a remarkably high superconducting transition temperature T(c)(10B) = 40.2 K. Measurements of both temperature dependent magnetization and specific heat reveal a 1.0 K shift in T(c) between Mg11B2 and Mg10B2. Whereas such a high transition temperature might imply exotic coupling mechanisms, the boron isotope effect in MgB2 is consistent with the material being a phonon-mediated BCS superconductor.     

Prediction of high T(c) superconductivity in hole-doped LiBC

The layered lithium borocarbide LiBC, isovalent with and structurally similar to the superconductor MgB2, is an insulator due to the modulation within the hexagonal layers (BC vs B2). We show that hole doping of LiBC results in Fermi surfaces of B-C p sigma character that couple very strongly to B-C bond stretching modes, precisely the features that lead to superconductivity at T(c) approximately equal to 40 K in MgB2. Comparison of Li(0.5)BC with MgB2 indicates the former to be a prime candidate for electron-phonon coupled superconductivity at substantially higher temperature than in MgB2.     

Magneto-optical study of the superconducting gap of MgB(2) single crystals

We present magneto-optical reflectivity results in the basal plane of the hexagonal MgB(2). The data were collected on a mosaic of MgB(2) single crystals with T(c)=38 K from the ultraviolet down to the far infrared as a function of temperature and magnetic field oriented along the c axis. In the far infrared, there is a clear signature of the superconducting gap with a gap ratio 2 Delta/k(B)T(c) approximately 1.2, well below the weak-coupling value. The gap is suppressed in an external magnetic field, which is a function of temperature. We extract the upper critical field H(c2) along the c axis. The temperature dependence of H(c2) is compatible with the Helfand-Werthamer behavior.     

新型超导体二硼化镁(MgB_2)基础研究及其应用展望

文章简要介绍了新型超导体二硼化镁的发现、研究进展和应用前景 .理论和实验都已经证明 ,二硼化镁的超导电性来源于电声子耦合 ,可以用具有S -波对称性波函数的BCS图像来描述 .然而在二硼化镁超导体中 ,人们发现有两个超导能隙 ,一个在 6meV ,另外一个在 2meV左右 ,它们同时在超导转变温度处打开 ,这给超导机理研究带来了一些新的内容 .在混合态物理方面 ,人们发现超导与正常态的边界线 (上临界磁场Hc2 )与磁通融化线(不可逆线Hirr)之间有很大的间隙 ,即使在绝对零度时也是如此 ,作者提出这可能是由于双能隙的结果或磁通物质的量子融化 .在应用方面 ,最有可能把它做成超导磁体 ,利用闭路循环制冷机制冷在 2 0K左右使用 ,这样极有可能取代现在医学上使用的核磁共振成像的液氦温度超导磁体     

Systematic effects of carbon doping on the superconducting properties of Mg(B1-xCx)(2)

The upper critical field, H(c2), of Mg(B1-xCx)(2) has been measured in order to probe the maximum magnetic field range for superconductivity that can be attained by C doping. Carbon doped MgB2 filaments were prepared, and for carbon levels below 4% the transition temperatures are depressed by about 1 K/% C and H(c2)(T=0) rises by about 5 T/% C. This means that 3.8% C substitution will depress T(c) from 39.2 to 36.2 K and raise H(c2)(T=0) from 16.0 to 32.5 T. These rises in H(c2) are accompanied by a rise in resistivity at 40 K from about 0.5 to about 10 microOmega cm.     

High-resolution photoemission study of MgB2

We have performed high-resolution photoemission spectroscopy on MgB2 and observed opening of a superconducting gap with a narrow coherent peak. We found that the superconducting gap is s like with the gap value ( Delta) of 4.5+/-0.3 meV at 15 K. The temperature dependence (15-40 K) of the gap value follows well the BCS form, suggesting that 2Delta/k(B)T(c) at T = 0 is about 3. No pseudogap behavior is observed in the normal state. The present results strongly suggest that MgB2 is categorized into a phonon-mediated BCS superconductor in the weak-coupling regime.     

Inversion of two-band superconductivity at the critical electron doping of (Mg, Al)B2

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) was combined with heat capacity measurements to probe changes of electronic structure and superconductivity in Mg(1-x)Al(x)B(2). A simultaneous decrease of EELS intensity from sigma-band hole states and the magnitude of the sigma gap was observed with increasing x, thus verifying that band filling results in the loss of strong superconductivity. These quantities extrapolated to zero at x approximately 0.33 as inferred from the unit cell volume. However, superconductivity was not quenched completely, but persisted with T(c) < 7 K up to about x approximately 55. Only the pi band had detectable density of states for 0.33 < or =x < or = 0.55, implying an inversion of the two-band hierarchy of MgB(2) in that regime. Since pi-band superconductivity is active in other materials such as intercalated graphite, implications for new materials with high T(c) are discussed.     

Mechanism of enhancement in electromagnetic properties of MgB2 by Nano SiC doping

A comparative study of pure, SiC, and C doped MgB2 wires has revealed that the SiC doping allowed C substitution and MgB2 formation to take place simultaneously at low temperatures. C substitution enhances H_{c2}, while the defects, small grain size, and nanoinclusions induced by C incorporation and low-temperature processing are responsible for the improvement in J_{c}. The irreversibility field (H_{irr}) for the SiC doped sample reached the benchmarking value of 10 T at 20 K, exceeding that of NbTi at 4.2 K. This dual reaction model also enables us to predict desirable dopants for enhancing the performance properties of MgB2.     

Evidence for two superconducting energy gaps in MgB(2) by point-contact spectroscopy

Experimental support is found for the multiband model of the superconductivity in the recently discovered system MgB(2) with the transition temperature T(c) = 39 K. By means of Andreev reflection, evidence is obtained for two distinct superconducting energy gaps. The sizes of the two gaps ( Delta(S) = 2.8 meV and Delta(L) = 7 meV) are, respectively, smaller and larger than the expected weak coupling value. Because of the temperature smearing of the spectra the two gaps are hardly distinguishable at elevated temperatures, but when a magnetic field is applied the presence of two gaps can be demonstrated close to the bulk T(c) in the raw data.     

Two-band superconductivity in MgB2

The study of the anisotropic superconductor MgB2 using a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy reveals two distinct energy gaps at Delta(1)=2.3 meV and Delta(2)=7.1 meV at 4.2 K. Different spectral weights of the partial superconducting density of states are a reflection of different tunneling directions in this multiband system. Temperature evolution of the tunneling spectra follows the BCS scenario [Phys. Rev. Lett. 3, 552 (1959)]] with both gaps vanishing at the bulk T(c). The data confirm the importance of Fermi-surface sheet dependent superconductivity in MgB2 proposed in the multigap model by Liu et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 087005 (2001)]].     

原位法MgB_2-B_4C复相超导体合成及相含量调控研究

以B4C和Mg为原料合成的MgB2-B4C复相超导体具有高的临界电流密度(Jc)和高的超导转变温度(Tc),是一种有潜力的实用MgB2超导材料,其成相机理对复相MgB2超导体的相含量调控和磁通钉扎研究具有重要意义。结合经典烧结理论,研究了B4C-Mg真空固相烧结制备MgB2-B4C复相超导体的超导相形成和晶粒生长过程,给出了B4C-Mg的金斯特林格扩散模型和MgB2晶粒生长过程。通过选择B4C原料粒径,MgB2-B4C复相超导体超导相体积相含量在18%-88%范围可控。相含量88%的MgB2-B4C复相超导体临界转变温度达33.5K,转变宽度1.5K。10 K环境6T外场下电流密度可以达到1×104A/cm2,表明MgB2-B4C复相超导体具有良好的磁通钉扎行为。     

Superconductivity in dense MgB2 wires

MgB2 becomes superconducting just below 40 K. Whereas porous polycrystalline samples of MgB2 can be synthesized from boron powders, in this Letter we demonstrate that dense wires of MgB2 can be prepared by exposing boron filaments to Mg vapor. The resulting wires have a diameter of 160 microm, are better than 80% dense, and manifest the full chi = -1/4pi shielding in the superconducting state. Temperature-dependent resistivity measurements indicate that MgB2 is a highly conducting metal in the normal state with rho(40 K) = 0.38 microOmega cm. By using this value, an electronic mean-free path, l approximately 600 A can be estimated, indicating that MgB2 wires are well within the clean limit. Tc, Hc2(T), and Jc data indicate that MgB2 manifests comparable or better superconducting properties in dense wire form than it manifests as a sintered pellet.     

Enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature of MgB2 by a strain-induced bond-stretching mode softening

We report a systematic increase of the superconducting transition temperature T(c) with a biaxial tensile strain in MgB2 films to well beyond the bulk value. The tensile strain increases with the MgB2 film thickness, caused primarily by the coalescence of initially nucleated discrete islands (the Volmer-Weber growth mode.) The T(c) increase was observed in epitaxial films on SiC and sapphire substrates, although the T(c) values were different for the two substrates due to different lattice parameters and thermal expansion coefficients. We identified, by first-principles calculations, the underlying mechanism for the T(c) increase to be the softening of the bond-stretching E(2g) phonon mode, and we confirmed this conclusion by Raman scattering measurements. The result suggests that the E(2g) phonon softening is a possible avenue to achieve even higher T(c) in MgB2-related material systems.     

High T(c) superconductivity in MgB2 by nonadiabatic pairing

The evidence for the key role of the sigma bands in the electronic properties of MgB2 points to the possibility of nonadiabatic effects in the superconductivity of these materials. These are governed by the small value of the Fermi energy due to the vicinity of the hole doping level to the top of the sigma bands. We show that the nonadiabatic theory leads to a coherent interpretation of T(c) = 39 K and the boron isotope coefficient alphaB = 0.30 without invoking very large couplings and it naturally explains the role of the disorder on T(c). It also leads to various specific predictions for the properties of MgB2 and for the material optimization of these types of compounds.     

Time-resolved photoexcitation of the superconducting two-gap state in MgB2 thin films

Femtosecond pump-probe studies show that carrier dynamics in MgB2 films is governed by the sub-ps electron-phonon (e-ph) relaxation present at all temperatures, the few-ps e-ph process well pronounced below 70 K, and the sub-ns superconducting relaxation below T(c). The amplitude of the superconducting component versus temperature follows the superposition of the isotropic dirty gap and the three-dimensional pi gap dependences, closing at two different T(c) values. The time constant of the few-ps relaxation exhibits a double divergence at temperatures corresponding to the T(c)'s of the two gaps.     

Ab initio investigation of collective charge excitations in MgB2

A sharp collective charge excitation is predicted in MgB2 at approximately 2.5 eV for q perpendicular to the boron layers, based on an all-electron analysis of the dynamical density response within time-dependent density functional theory. This novel excitation, consisting of coherent charge fluctuation between Mg and B sheets, induces an abrupt plasma edge in the experimentally observable reflectivity. The existence of this mode reflects the unique electronic structure of MgB2 that is also responsible for strong electron-phonon coupling. By contrast, the acoustic plasmon, recently suggested to explain the high T(c), is not realized when realistic transition strengths are incorporated.     

High current-carrying capability in c-axis-oriented superconducting MgB2 thin films

In high-quality c-axis-oriented MgB2 thin films, we observed high critical current densities ( J(c)) of approximately 16 MA/cm(2) at 15 K under self-fields comparable to those of cuprate high-temperature superconductors. The extrapolated value of J(c) at 5 K was estimated to be approximately 40 MA/cm(2). For a magnetic field of 5 T, a J(c) of approximately 0.1 MA/cm(2) was detected at 15 K, suggesting that this compound would be a very promising candidate for practical applications at high temperature and lower power consumption. The vortex-glass phase is considered to be a possible explanation for the observed high current-carrying capability.     

Superconductivity of MgB 2 Thin Films Prepared By CoEvaporation and Magnetism of MgB 2 /Fe Multilayers Studied By Mössbauer Spectroscopy

MgB 2 thin films and MgB 2 /Fe multilayers have been prepared by vapor deposition of the elements in vacuum. X-ray diffraction studies of the MgB 2 samples show preferred c -axis growth along the film normal direction. Superconducting transition temperatures of 18 K and 22 K have been measured before and after annealing, respectively, of an MgB 2 film of 1575 Å thickness. Atomic force microscope images show island growth of the films leading to a rough surface. Mössbauer spectroscopy on MgB 2 /Fe/MgB 2 multilayers of various Fe layer thicknesses indicates superparamagnetic behavior. Evidence is provided for the formation of interfacial amorphous (a-) Fe 3 B. The magnetic ordering of Fe and a-Fe 3 B and the size effect in MgB 2 are assumed to be the cause for the destruction of the superconductivity in the as-grown multilayers.     

MgB2薄膜的制备与特殊性质

本文报道了利用混合物理化学气相沉积方法(HPCVD)在SiC衬底上制备出约150 nm厚,结构均匀的MgB2薄膜.由R~T曲线知道样品TC(0)高达40.1K.由M~T曲线知道其TC=40.4K,且曲线转变十分陡峭.X射线衍射分析表明薄膜具有较好的C轴取向,没有氧污染,却存在Mg的杂峰.由M~H曲线,利用毕恩模型计算得到了5 K零场条件下JC(0T,5K)=2.7×106A/cm2,Hc2=19.5 T.这些结果表明过量的Mg对MgB2薄膜的转变温度以及有些性质有较大的影响.