Superconductivity in bulk A15 Nb3Si under pressure

Abstract

We have determined the effect of hydrostatic pressureP on the superconducting transition temperatureTc of bulk, A15 Nb3Si. For 0≤P≤20 kbar (2 GPa),Tc decrease linearly with increasing pressure at a rate ∂Tc/∂P=−2.67×10−5 K/bar. From an estimate of ∂Tc/∂P obtained using recent band structure calculations for the density-of-electronic-states change as a function of lattice parameter in Nb3Si, we conclude that the pressure dependence of the electron-phonon interaction primarily determines ∂Tc/∂P.