The density of states of b.c.c. Nb3Au: A comparison with A-15 Nb3Au

When Nb₃Au is converted from the A-15 structure to the b.c.c. allotrope, a sharp decrease in the superconducting transition temperature, T_c, occurs (11.1 to 1.5 K). To study possible causes for this sharp decrease, specific heat measurements have been made on the b.c.c. form of Nb₃Au yielding values of γ=19.2 mJ/mole-K², β=0.274 mJ/mole-K⁴ and θ_D=305 K. These parameters compared with published values for the A-15 Nb₃Au indicate that a sharp drop in the density of states at the Fermi level, N(0), occurs when the A-15 structure is converted to the b.c.c. form.     

Superconductivity and the b.c.c. to A-15 transformation in Nb-Au alloys2

Nb-Au alloys near the composition Nb₃Au can be quenched from the high temperature α solid solution phase field, retaining the b.c.c. structure. We report results on their superconducting, mechanical and physical properties as a function of composition. Short low temperature anneals transform these materials to the equilibrium A-15 structure with T_c up to 11K. We report results on the superconducting and physical properties of the transformed A-15 structure materials and describe how the properties of the transformed materials are affected by annealing temperature and time.     

A-15型V3B系超导化合物正常态顺磁磁化率

本文根据文献[1]提出的d带相对移动模型,计算了A-15型V₃B系化合物的顺磁磁化率及其随温度变化的趋势,计算结果与实验数据大体相符。     

Improved device performance in nonpolar a ‐plane GaN LEDs using a Ni/Al/Ni/Au n‐type ohmic contact

The authors report upon the increased light‐output power (P_out) via a reduction in the forward voltage (V_f) for nonpolar a ‐plane GaN LEDs using Ni/Al/Ni/Au n‐type ohmic contacts. The specific contact resistivity of the Ni/Al/Ni/Au contact is found to be as low as 5.6 × 10^–5 whereas that of a typical Ti/Al/Ni/Au contact is 6.8 × 10^–4 Ω cm², after annealing at 700 °C. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that the upward surface band bending is less pronounced for the Ni/Al contact compared to the Ti/Al contact, leading to a decrease in the effective Schottky barrier height (SBH). The V_f of the nonpolar LEDs decreases by 10% and P_out increases by 15% when the Ni/Al/Ni/Au scheme is used instead of the typical Ti/Al/Ni/Au metal scheme. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Comparison of superconducting and electronic properties of σ-and A-15 phase Nb−Al

For both, the σ-phase and the A-15 phase structure of Nb−Al binary alloys the superconducting properties were investigated in connection with measurements of normal state electronic properties like resistance and NMR-frequency and line width. The A-15 phase shows a transition temperature ofT _c ≈17.5 K. The σ-phase shows only weak transitions at the same temperature which can be explained by A-15 inclusions in a non-superconducting σ-matrix. The Al²⁷-Knight shift at room temperature is reduced from 0.162% for pure Al to (0.024±0.002)% and (0.026±0.0025)% for the A-15 and the σ-phase, respectively. The corresponding temperature coefficients differ in sign: positive for the A-15 and negative for the σ-phase; this may have a relation to the different superconducting properties. The NMR line width and the resistance show no different behaviour for the two phases. In general, the electronic properties seems to be less important for the occurance of superconductivity in the Nb−Al system than the lattice structures.     

A-15超导化合物的d带相对移动模型

本文考虑了A₃B型A-15结构晶体场的特点,根据对势模型,求出A原子各d电子子能级间相对移动量△E_⊥,进而在LCAO方法基础上,提出了改进的RCA能带模型。并据此得到V₃B系化合物超导临界温度对△E_⊥的关系,理论曲线与实验数据大致相符。 关键词：     

Computational investigations of mechanical and dynamical properties of gold-based compounds (X3Au,X = Ti,Zr and V)

The structural, elastic, electronic and phonon properties of X₃Au (X?=?Ti, Zr and V) compounds in the A15 structure were obtained in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT) within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA). The equilibrium lattice constants, bulk modulus and elastic constants were calculated. The calculation of elastic constants revealed that V₃Au has the highest hardness nature and incompressibility along the x-axis among them. The computed elastic constants also provided information about the ductility of X₃Au compounds which were predicted using Pugh's criteria. The results indicated that all three compounds have ductile nature. The density of states calculations revealed that electrons of Ti, Zr and V provide most contribution to the conductivity of the compounds and thus cause a metallic bonding. The investigation of stability via phonon spectra of compounds showed that these compounds are dynamically stable in the A15 structure.     

The relation betweenT c and anharmonicity in Sn-base A15 superconductors

The absolute value of the recoil-free fraction was measured accurately at three reference temperatures in the range 300 K down to 4 K, in two Sn-baseA 15 superconductors with disparate superconducting properties. The higher-T _c compound Nb₃Sn (T _c≈18K) exhibits low-temperature anharmonicity; this is in contrast to the lattice-dynamics of the low-T _c isomorph V₃Sn (T _c≈4K) in which it is observed that harmonic binding of the Sn atoms is prevalent down to low temperatures. The difference in the superconducting properties of the two compounds is shown to correlate with the considerable difference in their lattice-dynamics.     

A-15型超导化合物转变温度与晶格常数关系的理论解释

本文根据文献[1]的理论,结合对势模型关于钒原子电子云的形变与内层电子从d_‖到d_⊥带转移量ν＇的关系,导出A-15型V₃B系化合物的超导临界温度了T_c与晶格常数α的关系,理论曲线与实验点的分布大体相符。     

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：     

Sound wave anomalies in superconducting compounds

Temperature dependence of the elastic constants in the superconducting state is described on the basis of the Ginsburg-Landau theory. This approach shows very general character and allows to describe quantitative renormalization of the elastic constants in the superconducting state for different materials including non-conventional superconductors. Various examples (A-15 compounds, Chevrel compounds, CeRu₂, Ba_0.63K_0.37BiO₃, Yb₃Rh₄Sn₁₃, Ca₃Rh₄Sn₁₃, HfV₂, some heavy fermion compounds and Sr₂RuO₄) are given.     

Ionizing radiation effects on electrical and reliability characteristics of sputtered Ta2O5/Si interface

This paper describes the effect of ionizing radiation on the interface properties of Al/Ta₂O₅/Si metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors using capacitance–voltage (C–V) and current–voltage (I–V) characteristics. The devices were irradiated with X-rays at different doses ranging from 100?rad to 1?Mrad. The leakage behavior, which is an important parameter for memory applications of Al/Ta₂O₅/Si MOS capacitors, along with interface properties such as effective oxide charges and interface trap density with and without irradiation has been investigated. Lower accumulation capacitance and shift in flat band voltage toward negative value were observed in annealed devices after exposure to radiation. The increase in interfacial oxide layer thickness after irradiation was confirmed by Rutherford Back Scattering measurement. The effect of post-deposition annealing on the electrical behavior of Ta₂O₅ MOS capacitors was also investigated. Improved electrical and interface properties were obtained for samples deposited in N₂ ambient. The density of interface trap states (D_it) at Ta₂O₅/Si interface sputtered in pure argon ambient was higher compared to samples reactively sputtered in nitrogen-containing plasma. Our results show that reactive sputtering in nitrogen-containing plasma is a promising approach to improve the radiation hardness of Ta₂O₅/Si MOS devices.     

Superconductivity of neutron irradiated Mo3Os

The effect of high energy neutron irradiation (E>1 MeV) on the superconducting transition temperature, T_c, of the A-15 compound Mo₃Os is reported. T_c was found to decrease with increasing neutron dose, but at a rate considerably less than observed in other A-15 compounds composed of non-transition metals. The results lend support to the idea that the effect of ordering on T_c is smaller for A-15 compounds composed only of transition metals than those composed of transition and non-transition metals.     

Ta对C—15相V2Hf和V2(Zr0.5Hf0.5)系列声子性能的影响

本文用中子飞行时间方法对C-15相的超导材料V₂Hf,V₂Ta和V₂Hf_0.8Ta_0.2以及V₂Zr_0.5。Hf_0.5和V₂Zr_0.5Hf_0.33Ta_0.17的热中子非弹性散射谱作了测量,并计算出相对的广义声子态密度。结果与早先发表的Nb对C-15相V₂Zr和V₂(Hf_0.5Zr_0.5)系列声子性能的影响一致:声子频率随超导转变温度T_c增加而软化,随T_c减小而硬化。这表明,对于此类材料弹性软化在一定程度上对提高T_c起了作用。结果还进一步表明V₂Zr或V₂Hf与V₂(Zr_0.5Hf_0.5)之间有着质的差别,V₂Hf加Ta后,T_c增加,声子频率软化,而V₂(Zr_0.5Hf_0.5)加Ta后,T_c减小,声子频率则略有硬化。这与V₂Zr和V₂(Hf_0.5Zr_0.5)加Nb的结果是一致的。此结果可以用角动量分波表象的能带论方法分析电-声耦合相互作用得出的杂化理论来定性解释。 关键词：     

Elastic properties of the Ta–V system: bcc Ta0.33V0.67 and C15 TaV2

Resonant ultrasound spectroscopy was used to measure the elastic constants of bcc Ta_0.33V_0.67 over the temperature range 3.5–300?K; the results were compared to earlier measurements on C15 TaV₂. The temperature dependence of the polycrystalline shear modulus is completely different in the two phases; that of the bcc phase decreases with temperature whereas that of the C15 phases increases in an anomalous fashion. This difference is consistent with a model involving doubly-degenerate levels at the X point of the Brillouin zone in the C15 phase with the Fermi level lying near the doubly degenerate level. This model accounted for the unusual behaviour of the C15 phase. Debye temperatures were determined from the ultrasonic measurements: 295?K for the C15 phase and 315?K for the bcc phase.     

On a current mechanism in Ta2O5 thin films

Electrical conduction in the temperature range of 120–370 K has been studied in sandwiched structures of Al/Ta₂O₅/Si. The tantalum oxide films were prepared by evaporation of tantalum on a p-Si crystal substrate, followed by oxidation at a temperature of 600°C. The temperature-dependent current-voltage (I–V) characteristics are explained on the basis of a phonon-assisted tunnelling model. The same explanation is given for I–V data measured on Ta₂O₅ films by other investigators. From the comparison of experimental data with theory the density of states in the interface layer is derived and the electron-phonon interaction constant is assessed.      

Hysteresis and γ-recoil effects in the superconducting compounds HfxZr1−xV2

The anisotropy of the 133–182 keV γ-γ cascade in¹⁸¹Ta measured as a function of temperature between 70K and 298K shows lattice instability, the phenomenon of hysteresis in the vicinity of the lattice transformation temperature (T_L) and a temperature dependent electric field gradient (EFG) at the cubic Hf sites in the superconducting cubic Laves phase (C15) compounds Hf_1?xZr_xV₂ (x=0.0, 0.25 and 0.75). These observations are qualitatively understood by assuming the presence of γ-recoil effects and microdomains fluctuating between the high temperature (T>T_L) and the low temperature (T < T_L) phases of these compounds.     

X-ray photoemission spectra of valence electrons in V3X and Nb3X compounds

The X-ray photoemission spectra (XPS) of the A15 type compounds V₃Au, Nb₃Os, Nb₃Ir, Nb₃Pt and Nb₃Au have been studied. The inner level binding energies of the different components and the valence electron distribution were measured. The Nb4d and the X5d energy bands of the Nb₃X compounds appear to be more and more separate with increasing atomic number of the X component. The comparison between the results from X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of corresponding V₃X and Nb₃X compounds points out the similarity of their electronic structures.     

Influence of composition on the superconducting transition temperature of alloys with the A-15 structure

Superconducting transition temperatures are presented for a wide range of compositions within the A-15 phase of the NbAl system. The maximum T_c of 19.0 K clearly occurs for a composition greater than that of stoichiometric Nb₃Al. This observation, together with a modern calculation by Shen, suggests that the important controlling factor for the maximum T_c in the A-15 class of materials is the approach to the “$\text{λ ? 2}$ limit” rather than structural instabilities or the stoichiometric composition.     

The electronic structure of hypothetical Nb3Si and V3In

Self-consistent LMTO (Linear Muffin Tin Orbital) band calculations have been performed for Nb₃Si and V₃In. Calculated pressures show agreement with the results from existing Nb₃X and V₃X compounds, when the lattice parameters are 5.125 and 5.025 Å (± 0.025 Å) respectively. At these lattice dimensions, the superconducting transition temperatures are predicted to be approximately 18 K for Nb₃Si and 31 K for V₃In.