Superconductivity and resistivity of amorphous niobium-germanium alloys

The superconducting transition temperature, T_c, and the normal state resistivity, π, for amorphous niobium-germanium alloys were shown to vary smoothly with composition. Most notably, no anomaly was observed in the amorphous state at the composition Nb₃Ge.     

Hybridization and bonding in transition metal compound superconductors: X-ray photoemission from crystalline and amorphous Nb3Ge.

An XPS (or ESCA) study of the high T_c crystalline and the low T_c amorphous phases of Nb₃Ge indicates a change of the Nb-Ge bonding from covalent to metallic upon the amorphous to crystalline transition. The high T_c superconductivity of Nb₃Ge does not appear to stem only from an unusually high electronic density of states at the Fermi level but rather from another property such as a resonant enhancement of the electron-phonon coupling resulting from cation-anion hybridization at E_F.     

Upper critical fields of Nb3Ge thin film superconductors

The upper critical field H_c2(T) of the highest T_c(～23K) Nb₃Ge superconducting films has been found to be ≈370kG at 4.2K. Measurements on lower T_c films show very broad transitions reflecting nonuniformity. The H_c2(T) characteristics are consistent with other Nb₃X type II superconductors.     

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure investigations of Nb3Ge0.26Al0.74

We have performed Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) studies of the high-T_c ternary superconducting alloy Nb₃Ge_0.26Al_0.74 above the Ge K-edge. The EXAFS indicates that the local environment surrounding the Ge atoms is characterized by a high degree of structural order, similar to that found in previous investigations of high-T_c Nb₃Ge thin films. We also present direct “microscopic” structural evidence that this material is a solid solution of Nb₃Ge and Nb₃Al. No evidence of Nb₃Ge microcrystals is observed.     

The superconducting transition temperature of bulk samples of the niobium-germanium A15-phase after implantation of Ge,Si, O and Ar ions

Bulk material of Nb₃ (Ge_0.8Nb_0.2) with A15 structure and a superconducting transition temperature T_c of 6.5 K has been implanted with Ge, Si, Ar and O ions and subsequently annealed at high temperatures. After annealing between 700 and 750°C the Ge implanted samples showed a strong increase in T_c up to 16.2 K. With Si ions only a T_c of 13 K was obtained, with Ar and O ions T_c remained below 9 K. From X-ray measurements carried out on high T_c Ge implanted samples it could be concluded that the implanted surface layer grows up to a high degree epitaxially on the single crystallites of the bulk material. The lattice constant $\text{a}$₀ of the implanted film was reduced by 0.02 Å with respect to the bulk material. This reduction in $\text{a}$₀ is stronger than expected from the transition temperature of the implanted surface layer.     

Formation of near stoichiometric A15Nb3Si from annealing an amorphous alloy under high pressure

The A15Nb₃Si with a composition closed to stoichiometric compound has been synthesized under high pressure from a starting material of Nb₇₇Si₂₃ amorphous alloys. High pressure annealing was carried out in Bridgman anvils apparatus. The amorphous alloy would decompose into A15Nb₃Si, bcc Nb solid solution and hexagonal phase when it was annealed under a pressure lower or a temperature higher than that for forming single phase A15Nb₃Si. The yielded A15Nb₃Si exhibited a superconducting transition temperatureT _c of 19.1 K, and has been indexed unambiguously with a lattice parameter ofa=0.5093 nm. Moreover, a nonlinear relationship betweenT _c anda has been constructed from our experimental data, and aT _c of 27 K for stoichiometric A15Nb₃Si can be expected.     

Pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature of a (Mo0.6Ru0.4)86B14 metallic glass

We have studied the pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature of amorphous (Mo_0.6Ru_0.4)₈₆B₁₄ for hydrostatic pressures up to P ～ 9 kbar. The transition temperature T_c decreases with pressure at a rate dT_c/dP=-(9±1) mK kbar^-1. We estimate the Grüneisen parameter and the volume dependence of the electron-phonon coupling constant.     

Electrical resistance of Fe-Zr and Fe-Ni-Zr amorphous alloys under hydrostatic pressure

The effect of pressure on the electrical resistance of Fe₉₀Zr₁₀ and (Fe_0.96Ni_0.04)₉₀Zr₁₀ amorphous alloys has been investigated. The minimum point in the electrical resistance versus temperature curve shifts toward lower temperature range with increasing hydrostatic pressure, corresponding to the shift of the Curie temperature. The decrement of the electrical resistance below the Curie temperature T_c is about twice that above T_c, suggesting a large compressibility in the ferromagnetic state of the amorphous Invar alloys.     

Round-robin study of Tc measurement of superconducting “Nb3Ge” thin films

To determine the reproductibility in the measurement of T_c a round-robin experiment was conducted. The samples consisted of five high T_c “Nb₃Ge” thin films. The results of this experiment show that only the midpoint of the T_c curve is reproducible to within ≈±0.2 K.     

Study of the correlation between the structure and critical temperatureT c of sputtered Nb-Ge films

Nb-Ge layers with continuous change of chemical and phase composition were prepared by the d.c. sputtering method. The dependence of critical temperatureT _c on phase composition, Ge-content, lattice imperfections and composition irregularities were studied. Films with highT _c contain beside the A-15 Nb₃Ge phase also the hexagonal and tetragonal modification of the Nb₅Ge₃ phase. Correlation betweenT _c and Nb₃Ge phase composition determined from the lattice parameter was found. In samples with highestT _c the lattice parametera ₀=0·5135 nm corresponding to 22–23 at.% of germanium was determined.     

Effect of pressure on the superconducting transition temperature of the (Y1.2Ba0.8)4Cu4O16−δ ceramic compound

The superconducting transition temperature T_c, detected by the Meissner effect, of the single-phase (Y_1.2Ba_0.8)₄Cu₄ O_16−δ ceramic compound has been studied under hydrostatic pressure up to 3.4 kbar. The T_c increases with the increase of pressure at a rate of 1.5 K/kbar. The observed pressure behaviour of T_c is discussed with reference to a crystal structure and a cooperative bipolaron tunneling induced by Jahn-Teller distortions.     

The CESR and spin wave studies of A-15 films in normal and superconducting states

The electron spin resonance studies have been reported for A-15 superconductors, namely Nb₃Ge, Nb₃Si and V₃Si possessing different T_c values and CESR, Platzmann-Wolff type spin waves, and spin waves of antiferromagnetic type are observed in all the samples. It is found that T_c of Nb₃Ge depends upon the presence and separation of spin wave absorptions from the CESR, and T_c is found to increase when the separation is reduced. It is concluded that the exchange interactions in the conduction band, as manifested by the behaviour of spin waves, are of antiferromagnetic type and they are responsible for superconductivity in A-15 materials studied.     

Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Dielectric Response of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 Relaxor

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the dielectric response of Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ relaxor single crystal was studied. An increase in the dispersion of the dielectric anomaly, characteristic of the relaxors, was observed: pressure-induced downward shift of the temperature T _m of permittivity maximum at 1 kHz amounts to dT _m /dp = ? 3.8 K/100 MPa, whereas that measured at 1 MHz equals ? 3.3 K/100 MPa. Analysis of the dielectric response of the highly polarizable Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ shows that hydrostatic pressure results in a decrease of the correlation radius r _c of polar nanodomains, as well as their activation energy.     

Pressure dependence of superconductivity in amorphous La100−xAlx alloys

The pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperatureT _c of amorphous La_100–x Al _x alloys (x=16.5, 20, 25, 30, 34) has been studied under hydrostatic pressure to 3.5 GPa and, additionally, forx=16.5 under quasihydrostatic pressure to 12 GPa. For amorphous samples having Al-concentrationx>20%, T _c /P is positive in sign and decreases linearly with increasingx, extrapolating atx=0 to the same value (+1.1 K/Gpa) determined for pure crystalline La. For thex=16.5 sample, however, T _c /P is observed to be anomalously large, more than twice the value expected. The present results are compared with previous studies on amorphous and crystalline La-systems.This paper is dedicated to Prof. Methfessel of this institution on his 60th birthdayThis work is supported by the Minister für Wissenschaft und Forschung des Landes Nordthein-Westfalen     

Magnetic and structural properties of Y2Fe15·3Si1·7 alloy under high pressure

Abstract

The pressure dependence of the crystal structure of a powder sample of Y₂Fe_15·3Si_1·7 was studied in the pressure range from 0 to 2 GPa, using the D-2 diffractometer with hydrostatic liquid pressure cell at the IVV-2M reactor (Ekaterinburg) and DN-12 time-of-flight diffractometer with a sapphire anvil cell at the IBR-2 pulsed reactor (Dubna). Also the pressure dependence of the Curie temperature T_c (P) of the alloy was studied. The correlation between the decreases of both T_c and Fe-Fe interatomic distances in “dumbbell” site 4f under pressure was obtained.     

Superconductivity and phase compositions in annealed amorphous Nb-Si alloys under high pressure

We report the results of amorphous Nb₈₁Si₁₉ and Nb₇₇Si₂₃ alloys annealed at high pressure but at a pressure lower than that used to synthesize single-phase A15 Nb₃Si. The lower pressure gives rise to the decomposition of the alloys into a multi-phase state consisting of A15 Nb₃Si, Γ-Nb₅Si₃, L1₂-type Nb₃Si and Nb. The lattice constants are smaller and T_c higher than those obtained for the single-phase samples. We predict the T_c of stoichiometric A15 Nb₃Si to be 25 K.     

Anomalous Tc-behavior of LaSn3 under pressure

The superconducting transition temperature T_c of LaSn₃ has been measured up to ～ 22 kbar and was observed to increase through a maximum under hydrostatic compression. The anomalous T_c-behavior is attributed to a pressure induced Fermi surface topology change.     

A—15型化合物的超导性经验规律

本文给出一张既能考虑A-15结构型变,又能描述A-15型化合物T_c(超导临界温度)变化规律的图。从而预言:所述A-15系列中大概不会存在T_c很高(>25K)的化合物;铌系列中Nb₃Ge的T_c可能是最高的;钒系列中T_c可望还能提高(>17.1K),V₃Ge可望提高到12K以上。检查Nb₃Si,得不到Geller那样的乐观估计,并认为:以新工艺得到的A-15相Nb₃Si,是以牺牲正当化学配比或改变正常原子体积为代价而获得的非理想结构。从T_c与半径比关系及理想A-15结构对半径比的要求来看,笔者认为文献上关于Nb₃Si在有较高T_c(>23K)的种种预言,都是缺乏充分依据而不足置信的。 关键词：     

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the ferroelectric phase transition in [NH2(CH3)2]3[Sb2Cl9]

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the ferroelectric phase transition temperature in [NH₂(CH₃)₂]₃[Sb₂Cl₉] (DMACA) has been studied by electric permittivity measurements at pressures up to 400 MPa. The pressure-temperature phase diagram is given. The phase transition temperature (T_c) increases with increasing pressure up to 150 MPa, passes through a maximum and then decreases with a further increase of pressure. The unexpected nonlinear decrease in T_c with pressure increasing above 150 MPa suggests that the mechanism of ferroelectric phase transition in DMACA is different from hitherto assumed.     

Controlled crystallization a ionic conductivity of nanostructured LiNbFePO 4 glass ceramic

Glass sample with a composition of Li_1.3Nb_0.3Fe_1.7(PO₄)₃, prepared by a conventional melt-quenching method, was heat treated to obtain glass ceramics of NASICON type. Glass transition (T _g) and crystallization (T _c) temperatures of as-quenched glass sample were determined by differential thermal analysis (DTA). X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns also confirmed the formation of glass sample. After heat treatment above T _c, precipitation of crystalline particles with NASICON-type structure was confirmed by XRD. Valency and local structure of Fe atoms were investigated by Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature. DC-conductivity and impedance measurements of the glass ceramics proved the increased electrical conduction caused by heat treatment.