Structure and electronic properties of niobium-ruthenium alloys

The electronic specific heat, the Debye temperature, the paramagnetic susceptibility and the superconducting transition temperature have been measured in the niobium-rich region of the Nb-Ru system. Structural investigation proved that the single phase region extends up to at least 45 at. % Ru at low temperatures, with a gradually increasing tetragonal deformation above 37% Ru. The results reveal a flat minimum in the density of states near a concentration of 5.7 valence electrons per atom. Comparison of specific heat and susceptibility data lends support to the suggestion that a van Vleck type paramagnetic contribution might be important in this and related alloy systems. The superconducting transition temperature of very pure niobium was found to be 9.49°K.     

Electrical resistivity, Hall effect and superconductivity of some b.c.c. titanium-molybdenum alloys*

The electrical resistivities and the Hall coefficients of a series of body centered cubic Ti-Mo alloys have been measured between 1.1°K and room temperature, in magnetic fields up to 30 kG, and for concentrations of Mo between 7 and 24 atomic per cent. For the lower Mo concentration alloys the resistivities are high (≈ 140 microhm cm), and are slightly larger at 4.2°K than at 300°K. The resistivities decrease with increase of Mo over the entire range of alloy concentrations studied. The Hall coefficients are positive and are appreciably concentration and temperature dependent only below solute concentrations of about 12 atomic per cent Mo. The alloys are all superconducting at liquid helium temperatures, their resistive superconducting transition temperatures increasing with increase of Mo. Atomic ordering and structural transformation, concentration and temperature dependent electronic factors, and spin-disorder scattering are considered as possible explanations for the anomalous concentration and temperature dependence of the resistivity.     

极端的手段、极端的目标——超导电子器件及其应用

超导电性既是物理学中一个光彩夺目的领域,也是电力工程和电子学中许多独特的新应用的源泉．工作于液氦或液氮温区的超导电子器件,固然有赖于“低温”的极端手段,却能在灵敏度、频带宽度、响应速率等方面达到极端的目标．文章以液氦温区超导体为主,简述了有关的电子器件的基本原理和应用类型,并展示了其发展前景,以纪念超导现象发现一百周年．     

Adiabatic electron-phonon interaction and high-temperature thermodynamics of A15 compounds

Inelastic neutron scattering was used to measure the phonon densities of states of the A15 compounds V3Si, V3Ge, and V3Co at temperatures from 10 to 1,273 K. It was found that phonons in V3Si and V3Ge, which are superconducting at low temperatures, exhibit an anomalous stiffening with increasing temperature, whereas phonons in V3Co have a normal softening behavior. First-principles calculations show that this anomalous increase in phonon frequencies at high temperatures originates with an adiabatic electron-phonon coupling mechanism. The anomaly is caused by the thermally induced broadening of sharp peaks in the electronic density of states of V3Si and V3Ge, which tends to decrease the electronic density at the Fermi level. These results show that the adiabatic electron-phonon coupling can influence the phonon thermodynamics at temperatures exceeding 1,000 K.     

Superconductivity at 44.4 K achieved by intercalating EMIM~+ into FeSe

Superconductivity with transition temperature Tc above 40 K was observed in protonated Fe Se(Hy-Fe Se) previously with the ionic liquid EMIM-BF4 used in the electrochemical process. However, the real superconducting phase is not clear until now. And detailed structural, magnetization, and electrical transport measurements are lacking. By using similar protonating technique on Fe Se single crystals, we obtain superconducting samples with Tc above 40 K. We show that the obtained superconducting phase is not Hy-Fe Se but actually an organic-ion(C_6H_(11)N_2~+ referred to as EMIM~+)-intercalated phase(EMIM)x Fe Se. By using x-ray diffraction technique, two sets of index peaks corresponding to different c-axis lattice constants are detected in the obtained samples, which belong to the newly formed phase of intercalated(EMIM)_x Fe Se and the residual Fe Se, respectively. The superconductivity of(EMIM)x Fe Se with Tc of 44.4 K is confirmed by resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Temperature dependence of resistivity with different applied magnetic fields reveals that the upper critical field H_(c2) is quite high, while the irreversibility field Hirris suppressed quickly with increasing temperature till about 20 K. This indicates that the resultant compound has a high anisotropy with a large spacing between the Fe Se layers.     

High temperature multiple transitions in bismuth-based superconductors

We report observation of possible superconducting transitions at 133 K, 117K and 105 K in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O bulk samples which attain zero resistance state above the liquid nitrogen temperature (T_c(0)) = 80K). The transition at 105 K is prominent and shows a significant drop in the sample resistance. X-ray data depict characteristic superconducting peak at 20 = 5–6°. All the specimens show Meissner effect when cooled in liquid nitrogen.     

Slow Vortex Creep Induced by Strong Grain Boundary Pinning in Advanced Ba122 Superconducting Tapes

We report the temperature, magnetic field and time dependences of magnetization in advanced Ba122 superconducting tapes. The sample exhibits peculiar vortex creep behavior. Below 10 K, the normalized magnetization relaxation rate S = d ln(-M)/d ln(t) shows a temperature-insensitive plateau with a value comparable to that of low-temperature superconductors, which can be explained within the framework of collective creep theory. It then enters into a second collective creep regime when the temperature increases. Interestingly, the relaxation rate below 20 K tends to reach saturation with increasing the field. However, it changes to a power law dependence on the field at a higher temperature. A vortex phase diagram composed of the collective and the plastic creep regions is shown. Benefiting from the strong grain boundary pinning, the advanced Bal22 superconducting tape has potential to be applied not only in liquid helium but also in liquid hydrogen or at temperatures accessible with cryocoolers.     

Molecular dynamics study of the destruction of single-walled carbon nanotubes under tension

The deformation and destruction of single-walled open carbon nanotubes are investigated in the framework of the molecular dynamics model of charges localized at bonds, which takes into account the atomic (ionic) and electronic degrees of freedom. This approach allows one to study excited electronic states induced by electronic transitions and to investigate both the ionic and electronic subsystems simultaneously. The structural transformations of nanotubes with (10, 2) chirality under tension are investigated, and the tensile stress-strain diagrams of these nanotubes in the temperature range 100–1000 K are calculated. It is established that, at low and moderate temperatures, the destruction of the nanotubes has a similar nature: the interatomic covalent bonds are broken in the normal cross section of the nanotube. At high temperatures, the nanotube undergoes a scission along the stretching axis.     

Very low temperature specific heat of crystalline zirconium in normal and superconducting states

Specific heat measurements of zirconium between 0.03 and 1.2 K in both normal and superconducting states are reported. In the normal state a purely linear electronic contribution is observed down to 0.1 K; at lower temperatures there appears the onset of a nuclear hyperfine contribution which is unobservable in the superconducting state within our experimental time scale.     

Electronic structure and nematic phase transition in superconducting multiple-layer FeSe films grown by pulsed laser deposition method

We report comprehensive angle-resolved photoemission investigations on the electronic structure of single crystal multiple-layer FeSe films grown on CaF_2 substrate by pulsed laser deposition(PLD) method. Measurements on FeSe/CaF_2 samples with different superconducting transition temperatures T_c of 4 K, 9 K, and 14 K reveal electronic difference in their Fermi surface and band structure. Indication of the nematic phase transition is observed from temperature-dependent measurements of these samples; the nematic transition temperature is 140-160 K, much higher than ~90 K for the bulk FeSe. Potassium deposition is applied onto the surface of these samples; the nematic phase is suppressed by potassium deposition which introduces electrons to these FeSe films and causes a pronounced electronic structure change. We compared and discussed the electronic structure and superconductivity of the FeSe/CaF_2 films by PLD method with the FeSe/SrTiO_3 films by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE) method and bulk FeSe. The PLD-grown multilayer FeSe/CaF_2 is more hole-doped than that in MBE-grown multiple-layer FeSe films. Our results on FeSe/CaF_2 films by PLD method establish a link between bulk FeSe single crystal and FeSe/SrTiO_3 films by MBE method, and provide important information to understand superconductivity in FeSe-related systems.     

The influence of short-range order on electronic properties of transition metals: II. Amorphous metals

Local electronic properties have been calculated for the amorphous transition metals Nb, Mo, and Tc using a cluster model which accounts for the topology of the local structure. Trends in the density of states observed in metallic glasses are reproduced, and the behaviour of the averaged electron-phonon coupling strength correlates well with the behaviour of the superconducting transition temperature. The ratios of the critical temperatures in the amorphous and the crystalline state are reproduced correctly. The results show that the change in the critical temperature on going from the crystalline to the amorphous state can be explained by the change in short-range order.     

The influence of short-range order on electronic properties of transition metals: II. Amorphous metals

Local electronic properties have been calculated for the amorphous transition metals Nb, Mo, and Tc using a cluster model which accounts for the topology of the local structure. Trends in the density of states observed in metallic glasses are reproduced, and the behaviour of the averaged electron-phonon coupling strength correlates well with the behaviour of the superconducting transition temperature. The ratios of the critical temperatures in the amorphous and the crystalline state are reproduced correctly. The results show that the change in the critical temperature on going from the crystalline to the amorphous state can be explained by the change in short-range order.     

Superconductivity in electron-doped arsenene

Based on the first-principles density functional theory electronic structure calculation,we investigate the possible phonon-mediated superconductivity in arsenene,a two-dimensional buckled arsenic atomic sheet,under electron doping.We find that the strong superconducting pairing interaction results mainly from the pz-like electrons of arsenic atoms and the A1 phonon mode around the K point,and the superconducting transition temperature can be as high as 30.8 K in the arsenene with 0.2 doped electrons per unit cell and 12%-applied biaxial tensile strain.This transition temperature is about ten times higher than that in the bulk arsenic under high pressure.It is also the highest transition temperature that is predicted for electron-doped two-dimensional elemental superconductors,including graphene,silicene,phosphorene,and borophene.     

Supraleitung von Lanthan-Folien und von aufgedampften Lanthan-Schichten mit Zusatz von Gadolinium

Foils of lanthanum were found to be converted entirely to the h. c. p. modification by the rolling process. This made it possible to obtain the superconducting transition temperatures for both the h. c. p. and f. c. c. modifications of lanthanum from measurements of the electrical resistivity. Lanthanum foils in the h. c. p. form exhibited a superconducting transition at 4.9° K while foils in the f. c. c. form became superconducting at 6.0° K. Cold working lowered the transition temperature of the h. c. p. modification. — Quenching condensation provided films of the h. c. p. modification, their transition temperature being depressed by the quenching condensation. — Small additions of gadolinium lowered the transition temperatures as well of the quenchingly condensed as of the annealed films at the same rate of 4.5° K per at % Gd. From the accordance of these rates it is concluded that the lowering of the transition temperature by paramagnetic impurities is not affected by quenching condensation. The results of the measurements on La-Gd films are also in accord with those ofMatthias et al. obtained on bulk specimens.     

Evidence for multiband superconductivity in the heavy Fermion compound UNi2Al3

Epitaxial thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi2Al3 with Tc(max)=0.98 K were investigated. The transition temperature Tc depends on the current direction which can be related to superconducting gaps opening at different temperatures. Also the influence of the magnetic ordering at TN approximately 5 K on R(T) is strongly anisotropic, indicating different coupling between the magnetic moments and itinerant charge carriers on the multisheeted Fermi surface. The upper critical field Hc2(T) suggests an unconventional spin-singlet superconducting state.     

Superconducting and charge-density wave instabilities in ultrasmall-radius carbon nanotubes

We perform a detailed analysis of the band structure, phonon dispersion, and electron-phonon coupling of three types of small-radius carbon nanotubes (CNTs): (5,0), (6,0), and (5,5) with diameters 3.9, 4.7, and 6.8 Å respectively. The large curvature of the (5,0) CNTs makes them metallic with a large density of states at the Fermi energy. The density of states is also strongly enhanced for the (6,0) CNTs compared to the results obtained from the zone-folding method. For the (5,5) CNTs the electron-phonon interaction is dominated by the in-plane optical phonons, while for the ultrasmall (5,0) and (6,0) CNTs the main coupling is to the out-of-plane optical phonon modes. We calculate electron-phonon interaction strengths for all three types of CNTs and analyze possible instabilities toward superconducting and charge-density wave phases. For the smallest (5,0) nanotube, in the mean-field approximation and neglecting Coulomb interactions, we find that the charge-density wave transition temperature greatly exceeds the superconducting one. When we include a realistic model of the Coulomb interaction we find that the charge-density wave is suppressed to very low temperatures, making superconductivity dominant with the mean-field transition temperature around one K. For the (6,0) nanotube the charge-density wave dominates even with the inclusion of Coulomb interactions and we find the mean-field transition temperature to be around five Kelvin. We find that the larger radius (5,5) nanotube is stable against superconducting and charge-density wave orders at all realistic temperatures.     

具有—U中心的非简单金属与BCS超导体的邻近效应(Ⅱ)

本文讨论了具有-U中心的非简单金属薄膜与BCS超导体薄膜夹层邻近效应的传导电子能隙函数、态密度及超导转变温度T_c随各参量的变化规律。结果表明,-U中心的存在使激发谱“能隙”内出现很小值的态密度。在一定参数范围内,这种夹层系统的T_c是有可能高于大块BCS超导体的转变温度。 关键词：     

Magnetic susceptibility and superconductivity of (Pb<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>Sn<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>)<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>In<Subscript>x</Subscript>Te alloys as a function of in content

Experimental data on the superconductivity of In-doped Pb_zSn_1?zTe alloys (z=0.2) are discussed. The superconducting transition was detected from simultaneous measurements of the resistivity and magnetic susceptibility of a series of samples with different indium contents (2–12 mol % InTe). The superconducting transition detected by the magnetic susceptibility was observed at a temperature which was, on the average, 0.1 K below that determined from the resistivity. The increase in the superconducting transition temperature T _c with increasing indium content is of a threshold character, with T _c being proportional to the inverse electronic density of states at the Fermi level. The observed features in the experimental data are accounted for in terms of indium impurity resonance states in the material.     

Superconducting transition of amorphous TiFe,ZrFe and HfFe produced by Fe implantation

Amorphous TiFe, ZrFe and HfFe alloys prepared by low temperature implantation of about 10 at% Fe were found to have superconducting transition temperatures, T_c, enhanced above the values of the pure crystalline elements. In addition, T_c = 2.6 K for TiFe is about 1 K higher than T_c of the equivalent amorphous TiCu alloy. A correlation between the recently observed dband behavior of similar binary transition metal alloys and the forming ability is extended to (Ti,Zr,Hf)-Fe alloys to explain their superconducting properties.     

5d电子掺杂的SmFe_(1-x)Ir_xAsO铁基超导体的合成及物性

通过在SmFeAsO中Fe位上掺入5d过渡金属Ir,得到了一种新的铁基超导体SmFe1-xIrxAsO,当x=0.05时,样品表现出超导电性,超导转变温度为8K,当x=0.15时,超导转变温度达到最大值17.3K.X射线衍射结果表明所有样品均属四方ZrCuSiAs-type结构,SEM结果表明SmFe1-xIrxAsO样品具有片层状形貌特征.随着Ir掺杂量的增大,晶格参数a增大而c减小,结合EDX数据,表明Ir掺入了SmFeAsO晶格当中.