Abstract
In this paper we describe a methodology for the search for new superconducting materials.This consists of a parallel synthesis of a highly inhomogeneous alloy which covers largeareas of the metallurgical phase diagram combined with a fast, microwave-based methodwhich allows non-superconducting portions of the sample to be discarded. Once aninhomogeneous sample containing a minority phase superconductor is identified, we revertto well-known thorough identification methods which include standard physical andstructural methods. We show how a systematic structural study helps in avoidingmisidentification of new superconducting materials when there are indications from othermethods of new discoveries. These ideas are applied to the La–Si–C system which exhibitspromising normal state properties which are sometimes correlated with superconductivity.Although this system shows indications for the presence of a new superconductingcompound, the careful analysis described here shows that the superconductivity in thissystem can be attributed to intermediate binary and single phases of the system.
Highlights
The search for materials with novel properties, new superconductors in particular, is a difficult and sometimes tedious task
It is difficult because a deliberate search for new superconducting materials in a particular system is rarely successful. The discovery of these new materials has been mostly accidental since the discovery of the phenomenon [1,2,3,4,5,6]. This is a tedious task because the systems under study are usually materials consisting of several elements with complex phase diagrams
Following the methodology explained in the introduction, using magnetic field modulated microwave spectroscopy (MFMMS) as a fast screening tool, we detected the presence of superconducting phases in the samples containing C
Summary
The search for materials with novel properties, new superconductors in particular, is a difficult and sometimes tedious task. The discovery of these new materials has been mostly accidental since the discovery of the phenomenon [1,2,3,4,5,6] This is a tedious task because the systems under study are usually materials consisting of several elements with complex phase diagrams. The samples that pass the initial screening stage are subjected to detailed (albeit slow) magnetic, transport and structural studies to rule out known superconductors This allows for a rational search among the many possible candidates. The original discovery of high temperature superconductivity in cuprates, for instance, was found in multiphase compounds [4] This is why an approach intentionally targeting inhomogeneous samples may increase the possibilities of finding new superconducting phases as advocated here
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