Synthesis and physical properties of LiBC intermetallics

Polycrystalline samples of LiBC compounds, which were predicted as possible candidate for high-T_c superconductivity, have been synthesised by a flux method for a wide range of flux compositions Li_xBC (x=0.5-2.4). Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns showed a plate-like morphology and a single-phase nature of LiBC samples for the starting flux composition of Li_1.25BC. The lattice constants a, c display a systematic variation with x and a maximum volume of the hexagonal unit cell at x=1.25. Electrical resistivity measurements revealed an extrinsic semiconducting behaviour of the single-phase LiBC with an activation energy of 18 meV and a maximum specific resistivity of 2.5 Ω cm at 300 K. In contrast to the theoretical prediction of high T_c, no superconducting features were detected down to 2 K both, by measurements of electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility. However, the results do not allow to refute the theoretical prediction because of the lack of accurate chemical analysis methods for the LiBC compounds synthesised.     

压强对二硼化镁超导电性的影响

基于强耦合理论的 Mc Millan公式 ,研究了压强对 Mg B2 超导电性的影响 ,得到了与实验趋于一致的结果 ,进一步表明了 Mg B2 的超导机制应在 BCS理论框架下讨论。并同时探讨了压强对 Mg B2 超导电性影响的物理机制     

High-Tc superconductivity in superhard diamondlike BC5

Using density functional theory calculations we show that the recently synthesized superhard diamondlike BC5 is superconducting with a critical temperature of the same order as that of MgB2. The average electron-phonon coupling is lambda=0.89, the phonon-frequency logarithmic average is log=67.4 meV, and the isotope coefficients are alpha(C)=0.3 and alpha(B)=0.2. In BC5, superconductivity is mostly sustained by concerted vibrations of the B atom and its C neighbors.     

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     

First-Principle Calculations for Thermodynamic Properties of LiBC Under High Temperature and High Pressure

The thermodynamic properties of LiBC are investigated by using the full-potential linearlzed muffin-tin orbital method （FP-LMTO） within the frame of density functional theory （DFT） and using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The dependencies of the normalized lattice parameters a/a0 and c/c0, the ratio （c/a）/2, the normalized primitive volume V/V0 on pressure and temperature are successfully obtained. It is found that the interlayer covalent interactions （Li-B bonds or Li-C bonds） are more sensitive to temperature and pressure than intralayer ones （B-C bonds）, as gives rise to the extreme lattice anisotropy in the bulk hop LiBC.     

First-Principle Calculations for Thermodynamic Properties of LiBC Under High Temperature and High Pressure

The thermodynamic properties of LiBC are investigated by using the full-potential linearized muffin-tin orbital method (FP-LMTO) within the frame of density functional theory (DFT) and using the quasi-harmonic Debye model. The dependencies of the normalized lattice parameters a/a0 and c/c0, the ratio (c/a)/2, the normalized primitive volume V/V0 on pressure and temperature are successfully obtained. It is found that the interlayer covalent interactions (Li-B bonds or Li-C bonds) are more sensitive to temperature and pressure than intralayer ones (B-C bonds), as gives rise to the extreme lattice anisotropy in the bulk hcp LiBC.     

Definitive experimental evidence for two-band superconductivity in MgB2

The superconducting-gap of MgB2 has been studied by high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The results show that superconducting gaps with values of 5.5 and 2.2 meV open on the sigma band and the pi band, respectively, but both the gaps close at the bulk transition temperature, providing a definitive experimental evidence for the two-band superconductivity with strong interband pairing interaction in MgB2. The experiments validate the role of k-dependent electron-phonon coupling as the origin of multiple-gap superconductivity as well as the high transition temperature of MgB2.     

热处理对C掺杂MgB2/Nb/Cu单芯线材微观结构及超导电性的影响

采用原位法粉末装管工艺(In-situ)制备了MgB2/Nb/Cu单芯线材,通过X射线衍射(XRD)、能谱分析(EDS)和物性测试仪(PPMS)等手段研究了热处理温度对线材微观结构及超导电性的影响.结果显示,随着热处理温度的提高,衍射图谱中的(110)峰向高角度偏移,说明掺杂元素C进入晶格的量也在增加;烧结温度对C掺杂...     

MgB2超导多层膜的制备方案

简要叙述了MgB2的发展和制备历史,通过对不同衬底材料上MgB2的反应情况的总结概括以及对不同衬底材料和MgB2的晶体结构和晶格常量的比较,提出一种MgB2超导多层膜的制备方案.     

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%).     

From E2g to other modes: effects of pressure on electron-phonon interaction in MgB2

We study the effects of pressure on the electron-phonon interaction in MgB2 using density-functional-based methods. Our results show that the superconductivity in MgB2 vanishes by 100 GPa, and then reappears at higher pressures. In particular, we find a superconducting transition temperature Tc approximately 2 K for mu*=0.1 at a pressure of 137 GPa.     

硅衬底MgB_2-B-MgB_2超导SNS约瑟夫森结的制备与特性

利用两步原位电子束蒸发技术,在Si(111)衬底上制备了MgB2-B-MgB2超导SNS约瑟夫森夹心结.夹心硼(B)层厚度从10nm到80nm范围内MgB2-B-MgB2/Si(111)薄膜表现出明显的SNS约瑟夫森结特性,而在5nm和100nm处薄膜分别是整体超导和正常金属特性.在同一温度下,随着硼层厚度的增加,临界结电流减小,对同一厚度下,临界结电流随着温度的增加而减小.同时,实验指出,夹心硼SNS超导MgB2约瑟夫森结的电流-电压(I-V)曲线具有回滞现象,符合SM模型.     

Metallurgical phases and their magnetism at the interface of nanoscale MgB2/Fe layered structures

We report on the characterization of metallurgical phases and their magnetism at the interfaces of nanoscale MgB(2)/Fe layered structures. MgB(2)/(57)Fe multilayers with varying layer thicknesses were prepared by vacuum deposition and investigated, before and after annealing by electrical resistance measurements, x-ray diffraction and (57)Fe conversion-electron M?ssbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) down to 5 K. Interfacial Fe-B phases, such as Fe(2)B, were identified by CEMS. A superparamagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition is observed with increasing (57)Fe film thickness. Ultrahigh vacuum annealing at 500 °C of the multilayers leads to strong diffusion of Fe atoms into the boundary regions of the MgB(2) layers. MgB(2) in the as-grown multilayers is non-superconducting. Structural disorder and the effect of Fe interdiffusion contribute to the suppression of superconductivity in the MgB(2) films of all the as-grown multilayers and the thinner annealed multilayers. However, an annealed MgB(2)/(57)Fe/MgB(2) trilayer with thicker (500 ?) MgB(2) layers is observed to be superconducting with an onset temperature of 25 K. At 5 K, the annealed trilayer can be conceived as being strongly chemically modulated, consisting of two partially Fe-doped superconducting MgB(2) layers separated by an interdiffused weakly magnetic Fe-B interlayer, which is characterized by a low hyperfine magnetic field B(hf) of ～11 T. This chemically modulated layer structure of the trilayer after annealing was verified by Rutherford backscattering.     

MgB2超导储能磁体可行性研究及结构优化

MgB2作为超导材料中的一颗新星,可以很好的应用于超导磁体。文中对比分析了作为超导磁体应用材料MgB2的超导特性,之后进行了MgB2磁体电磁设计。并通过与已有的Bi系超导磁体的对比,论证了MgB2在超导储能磁体应用中的可行性。针对MgB2超导特性进行磁体结构优化设计,得到两种新思路的螺管型磁体模型,都能够达到更好的经济性。     

Observation of interband pairing interaction in a two-band superconductor: MgB2

The recently discovered anisotropic superconductor MgB2 is the first of its kind showing the intriguing properties of two-band superconductivity. By tunneling experiments using thin film tunnel junctions, electron-coupled phonon spectra were determined showing that superconductivity in MgB2 is phonon mediated. In a further analysis, which involves first principles calculations, the strongest feature in these spectra could be traced back to the key quantity of two-band superconductivity, the interband pairing interaction. For the phonons, this interaction turns out quite selective. It involves mainly low-energy optical phonon modes, where the boron atoms move perpendicular to the boron planes.     

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.     

平均价电子数与掺杂MgB_2体系临界电流密度的关系

研究了掺杂二硼化镁超导体系的平均价电子数与临界电流密度之间的关系,发现它们之间有较好的规律性。由此,提出用平均价电子数作为提高掺杂二硼化镁超导体临界电流密度的一个新依据,对今后二硼化镁超导电性的改善有很好的指导意义。     

硬度和电负性对掺杂二硼化镁体系临界电流密度的影响

依据Slater过渡态计算法计算出的元素的硬度和电负性作为标度,通过对二硼化镁及掺杂二硼化镁超导体硬度和电负性的计算,研究了二硼化镁及掺杂二硼化镁超导体硬度和电负性与临界电流密度的关系,发现其具有较好的规律性。由此,提出用硬度均衡值ηcq和电负性的平均效应值cχq作为提高掺杂二硼化镁超导体临界电流密度的一个新依据,对今后二硼化镁超导电性的改善有很好的指导意义。     

Search for E(2g) phonon modes in MgB2 single crystals by point-contact spectroscopy

The electron-phonon interaction in magnesium diboride MgB2 single crystals is investigated by point-contact (PC) spectroscopy. For the first time the electron coupling with E(2g) phonon modes is resolved in the PC spectra. The correlation between intensity of the extremely broad E(2g) modes in the PC spectra and value of the superconducting gap is established. Our observations favor current theoretical models for electron-phonon mediated superconductivity in MgB2, and they better match the harmonic phonon model.     

Vortex imaging in the pi band of magnesium diboride

We report scanning tunneling spectroscopy imaging of the vortex lattice in single crystalline MgB2. By tunneling parallel to the c axis, a single superconducting gap (Delta=2.2 meV) associated with the pi band is observed. The vortices in the pi band have a large core size compared to estimates based on H(c2) and show an absence of localized states in the core. Furthermore, superconductivity between the vortices is rapidly suppressed by an applied field. These results suggest that superconductivity in the pi band is, at least partially, induced by the intrinsically superconducting sigma band.