Multiple transition temperature enhancement in superconducting TiNbMoTaW high entropy alloy films through tailored N incorporation

Abstract

We report about the influence of nitrogen incorporation on the superconducting transition temperature TC of TiNbMoTaW high entropy alloy films deposited using high power impulse magnetron sputtering. By measuring the temperature dependence of resistivity of (TiNbMoTaW)Nx nitrides, we observe a significant increase of TC, from 0.62 K for x = 0 up to 5.02 K for x = 0.74. With further increase of x, TC is decreasing and reaches 1.08 K for x = 0.97. The eightfold TC enhancement seems to be associated with the incorporation of light N atoms into the face-centered cubic lattice and with the x dependent enhancement of the electron-phonon interaction, which may be related to the high configuration entropy in high entropy alloys. Measurements in magnetic field show that the upper critical fields Bc2 of (TiNbMoTaW)Nx with x > 0.15 provide Bc2/TC > 2 T/K ratios, which are above the weak-coupling pair breaking limit. Additional heat capacity and point contact spectroscopy measurements show that the superconductivity in the ∼1 μm thick films is bulk in nature, consistent with conventional weak-coupling phonon mediated superconductivity. The proposed strategy of nitrogen incorporation into high entropy alloys may pave a pathway towards tailoring their superconducting properties, especially their TC.