Critical Field Hc2 Research Articles

The FFLO State in the Dimer Mott Organic Superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br

The superconducting phase diagram for a quasi-two-dimensional organic superconductor, κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br, was studied using pulsed magnetic field penetration depth measurements under rotating magnetic fields. At low temperatures, Hc2 was abruptly suppressed even by small tilts of the applied fields owing to the orbital pair-breaking effect. In magnetic fields parallel to the conducting plane, the temperature dependence of the upper critical field Hc2 exhibited an upturn and exceeded the Pauli limit field HP in the lower temperature region. Further analyses with the second derivative of the penetration depth showed an anomaly at 31–32 T, which roughly corresponded to HP. The origin of the anomaly should not be related to the orbital effect, but the paramagnetic effect, which is almost isotropic in organic salts, because it barely depends on the field angle. Based on these results, the observed anomaly is most likely due to the transition between the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) and the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) states. Additionally, we discuss the phase diagram and physical parameters of the transition by comparing them with other FFLO candidates.

Dynamics of fractional vortices in two-band superconductors

The entry of fractional vortices and their subsequent dynamics inside a two-band superconductor is explored based on the numerical solutions of time-dependent Ginzburg–Landau (TDGL) equations. We consider the case when superfluid electron condensates from two zones are characterized by quite different parameters, such as coherence lengths ξi, and London penetration depths λi, which in turn leads to the different critical magnetic fields Hc,iand fractional flux quanta ϕivalues for the superconducting state in these two zones. Numerical solutions of TDGL equations in increasing external magnetic field followed by mathematical modeling of magnetic flux penetration were performed for this case by finite element method. We have explored the time evolution for the fractional vortices penetration process and their subsequent dynamics inside the specimens for two geometries: the circular disk, and the circular disk with a triangular cutout. Obtained results indicate that magnetic flux penetrates inside the specimen in the form of fractional vortices when they can overcome the edge barrier, which may be different for these two vortex types. Therefore, in increasing external magnetic field first penetrate vortices with a lower barrier height (i.e., lower Hc,i) while the other type of fractional vortices start their penetration at higher external field value. Another mechanism for the formation of fractional vortices during their entrance in a two-band superconductor is related to the difference in their flux values and viscosity coefficients which determine the rate of vortex proliferation inside the sample. Within the specimen, fractional vortices move in order to arrange. Vortices of different types attract to each other and try to stick together thus forming composite vortices with the whole flux quantum value ϕ0 = h/2e.

Improved critical current density property in ex situ processed MgB2 tapes using filling powders with metallic particle addition

MgB2 powders milled with low-melting-point metallic particles, Bi and In, and Fe-sheathed tapes using those milled powders were sintered at various temperatures. With increasing the amount of those additives, the wear of WC jar and balls during milling process is promoted. Compared with In addition, Bi addition clearly causes the formation of some amorphous or poor crystalline phase in the as-milled state. Concerning the sintered tape samples, the optimal sintering temperature (Tsin), at which best performance in transport critical current density (Jc) at 4.2 K in 10 T is obtained, is 680 °C for the tapes using the milled powders with In addition. This temperature is lower than that by 30 °C for the tapes without additives. Furthermore, In addition promotes the reaction at the interface between the MgB2 core and the Fe sheath. In contrast, Bi addition appreciably causes neither reduction of the optimal Tsin nor the promoted reaction at the interface. Although both additives hardly bring about critical temperature (Tc) reduction, only Bi addition can improve the transport Jc property. This Jc enhancement is mainly attributed to improved grain connectivity. In addition itself can be effective for grain connectivity improvement as well. However, reduced upper critical and irreversibility fields (Hc2 and Hirr) brought about by the addition degrade the Jc property.

Upper critical field and peak effect in (Li0.8Fe0.2)OHFeSe single crystal

The transport properties, magnetization and dynamic magnetization relaxation rate measurements of (Li0.8Fe0.2)OHFeSe single crystals are presented at various magnetic fields and temperatures. The temperature dependence of upper critical field Hc2 exhibits an upward curvature. The Hc2 has been determined based on the orbital limiting and the Pauli limiting effect. The peak effect occurs in both the magnetic hysteresis loops and critical current density, which associates with the vortex motion. The field dependence of ∆M measured at different field sweeping rates is distinguished, which indicates a giant vortex creep. The magnetic relaxation rate Q has been investigated, indicating a transition between the two different vortices motion with increasing field. Our results suggest that the peak effect originates from the vortex transition from the elastic motion to the plastic motion.

Magnetotransport properties of chiral helimagnet Cr1/3NbS2 near phase transition

Many interesting physical phenomena emerge in the vicinity of phase transition temperature (Tc) for magnetic materials. However, it remains a big challenge to elucidate the near-Tc behaviors of chiral helimagnets, owing to their diversified magnetic interactions and complicated phase transitions. Here, we have systematically studied the near-Tc properties of a chiral helimagnet Cr1/3NbS2 by magnetotransport measurements with fine tuning of temperature and magnetic field. An anomalous positive magnetoresistance (MR) appears around the critical field (Hc) in a narrow temperature range (~ 128–132 K), which can be attributed to the competing scattering effects on electrons between the chiral magnetic order and thermal fluctuation near critical point. Moreover, the negative MR continues to increase even above Hc, and this behavior becomes more pronounced near Tc. Based on the MR results, a near-Tc magnetic phase diagram of Cr1/3NbS2 is presented, with a particular emphasis on the determination of internal phase boundary of chiral soliton lattice (CSL). This work gains an insight on the near-Tc behaviors of chiral magnetic materials and sheds light on the related electronic and spintronic applications.

Origin of the enhanced Nb3Sn performance by combined Hf and Ta doping

In recent years there has been an increasing effort in improving the performance of Nb3Sn for high-field applications, in particular for the fabrication of conductors suitable for the realization of the Future Circular Collider (FCC) at CERN. This challenging task has led to the investigation of new routes to advance the high-field pinning properties, the irreversibility and the upper critical fields (HIrr and Hc2, respectively). The effect of hafnium addition to the standard Nb-4Ta alloy has been recently demonstrated to be particularly promising and, in this paper, we investigate the origins of the observed improvements of the superconducting properties. Electron microscopy, Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy (EXAFS) and Atom Probe Tomography (APT) characterization clearly show that, in presence of oxygen, both fine Nb3Sn grains and HfO2 nanoparticles form. Although EXAFS is unable to detect significant amounts of Hf in the A15 structure, APT does indeed reveal some residual intragrain metallic Hf. To investigate the layer properties in more detail, we created a microbridge from a thin lamella extracted by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and measured the transport properties of Ta-Hf-doped Nb3Sn. Hc2(0) is enhanced to 30.8 T by the introduction of Hf, ~ 1 T higher than those of only Ta-doped Nb3Sn, and, even more importantly the position of the pinning force maximum exceeds 6 T, against the typical ~ 4.5–4.7 T of the only Ta-doped material. These results show that the improvements generated by Hf addition can significantly enhance the high-field performance, bringing Nb3Sn closer to the requirements necessary for FCC realization.

Field-Induced Superconductivity near the Superconducting Critical Pressure in UTe2

We report the magnetoresistance in the novel spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 under pressure close to the critical pressure Pc, where the superconducting phase terminates, for field along the three a, b and c-axes in the orthorhombic structure. The superconducting phase for H // a-axis just below Pc shows a field-reentrant behavior due to the competition with the emergence of magnetic order at low fields. The upper critical field Hc2 for H // c-axis shows a quasi-vertical increase in the H-T phase diagram just below Pc, indicating that superconductivity is reinforced by the strong fluctuations which persist even at high fields above 20T. Increasing pressure leads to the disappearance of superconductivity at zero field with the emergence of magnetic order. Surprisingly, field-induced superconductivity is observed at high fields, where a spin-polarized state is realized due to the suppression of the magnetic ordered phases; the spin-polarized state is favorable for superconductivity, whereas the magnetic ordered phase at low field seems to be unfavorable. The huge Hc2 in the spin-polarized state seems to imply a spin-triplet state. Contrary to the a- and c-axes, no field-reinforcement of superconductivity occurs for magnetic field along the b-axis. We compare the results with the field-reentrant superconductivity above the metamagnetic field, Hm for the field direction tilted by about 30 deg. from b to c-axis at ambient pressure as well as the field-reentrant (-reinforced) superconductivity in ferromagnetic superconductors, URhGe and UCoGe.

Effect of Ti substitution on the superconductivity of CuIr2Te4 telluride chalcogenide

Here we report a detailed investigation on the structural and superconducting properties of previously unreported CuIr2-xTixTe4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) samples. It is found that the charge density wave-like order is quickly suppressed with subtle Ti substitution on 5d Ir site in CuIr2Te4 and vanishes in all Ti-doped samples. Concurrently, superconducting critical temperature Tc is enhanced and increases up to 2.84 K at x = 0.075; thenceforth, Tc deceases with higher Ti-doped concentrations and forms a weak dome-shaped superconducting phase diagram. The optimal CuIr1.925Ti0.075Te4 composition exhibits type-Ⅱ superconductivity with its lower critical field (Hc1(0)) and upper critical field (Hc2(0)) based on Werthamer Helfand Hohenburg (WHH) model is 0.095 T and 0.212 T, respectively. The normalized specific heat jump ∆Cel./γTc = 1.34 is in good agreement with the nature of bulk superconductivity.

Iron diffusivity into superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−δ at oxygen-assisted sintering: structural, magnetic, and transport properties

Optimization of materials exhibiting high-temperature superconductivity for producing controllable nano-devices is crucial for industrial applications. Herein we report a comprehensive study of the diffusion process between YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) and iron particles. Fe diffusion into the YBCO matrix could be fundamental for multilayer systems with YBCO/Fe-alloy interfaces. We have found that the orthorhombic YBCO structure adopts to 3 wt% Fe, while for higher Fe content, a formation of BaFeO3−δ and iron oxides was observed. Complementary measurements confirmed the strong superconductivity suppression in YBCO-Fe materials containing more than 7 wt% Fe. The YBCO with diffused Fe material retain the unit cell orthorhombicity (max. 3 wt% Fe), and their superconducting properties follow the principle of critical scaling with different exponents (γ). The critical current density (Jc), pinning fields (HP) exhibit γ = 1, the first critical field (Hc1) shows γ = 1/2, and critical temperature (Tc) demonstrates γ = 7/4.

Coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagentic order in Er2O2Bi with anti-ThCr2Si2 structure

We investigated the coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetic order in the compound Er2O2Bi with anti-ThCr2Si2-type structure through resistivity, magnetization, specific heat measurements and first-principle calculations. The superconducting transition temperature Tc of 1.23 K and antiferromagnetic transition temperature TN of 3 K are observed in the sample with the best nominal composition. The superconducting upper critical field Hc2(0) and electron-phonon coupling constant λe−ph in Er2O2Bi are similar to those in the previously reported non-magnetic superconductor Y2O2Bi with the same structure, indicating that the superconductivity in Er2O2 Bi may have the same origin as in Y2O2Bi. The first-principle calculations of Er2O2Bi show that the Fermi surface is mainly composed of the Bi 6p orbitals both in the paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic state, implying minor effect of the 4f electrons on the Fermi surface. Besides, upon increasing the oxygen incorporation in Er2OxBi, Tc increases from 1 to 1.23 K and TN decreases slightly from 3 K to 2.96 K, revealing that superconductivity and antiferromagnetic order may compete with each other. The Hall effect measurements indicate that hole-type carrier density indeed increases with increasing oxygen content, which may account for the variations of Tc and TN with different oxygen content.

Study of the Structure, Magnetic, Thermal and Electrical Characterisation of ZnCr2Se4: Ta Single Crystals Obtained by Chemical Vapour Transport.

The new series of single-crystalline chromium selenides, Ta-doped ZnCr2Se4, was synthesised by a chemical vapour transport method to determine the impact of a dopant on the structural and thermodynamic properties of the parent compound. We present comprehensive investigations of structural, electrical transport, magnetic, and specific heat properties. It was expected that a partial replacement of Cr ions by a more significant Ta one would lead to a change in direct magnetic interactions between Cr magnetic moments and result in a change in the magnetic ground state and electric transport properties of the ZnCr2−xTaxSe4 (x = 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.1, 0.12) system. We found that all the elements of the cubic system had a cubic spinel structure; however, the doping gain linearly increased the ZnCr2−xTaxSe4 unit cell volume. Doping with tantalum did not significantly change the semiconductor and magnetic properties of ZnCr2Se4. For all studied samples (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.12), an antiferromagnetic order (AFM) below TN~22 K was observed. However, a small amount of Ta significantly reduced the second critical field (Hc2) from 65 kOe for x = 0.0 (ZnCr2Se4 matrix) up to 42.2 kOe for x = 0.12, above which the spin helical system changed to ferromagnetic (FM). The Hc2 reduction can lead to strong competition among AFM and FM interactions and spin frustration, as the specific heat under magnetic fields H < Hc2 shows a strong field decrease in TN.

Anisotropic thermoelectric and superconducting properties of the bulk misfit-layered (SnSe)1.17(TaSe2) compound

We present the thermoelectric and superconducting properties of the bulk misfit-layered (SnSe)1.17(TaSe2) compound with the critical temperature (Tc ~ 3.8 K). From XRD and electrical resistivity, the anisotropic properties of the misfit-layered compound by the preferred orientation were observed. The zero-temperature-limit upper critical field Hc2(0) and coherence length ξ are obtained by Hc2(0) = 8.94 T and ξ = 6.1 nm. The electron-phonon coupling constant (λe-p = 0.735) and the specific heat jump (ΔCe/γTc ~ 1.4) imply that the (SnSe)1.17(TaSe2) compound is a weak coupled conventional s-wave superconductor. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results show that some electronic charge transfers from the SnSe layers into the TaSe2 layers. In addition, the thermoelectric properties of the bulk misfit-layered (SnSe)1.17(TaSe2) compound show significant anisotropic properties.

Three-dimensional networks of superconducting NbSe2 flakes with nearly isotropic large upper critical field

Increasing the upper critical field Hc2 in superconductors is one of the most significant requirements for superconducting applications. Two-dimensional (2D) noncentrosymmetric NbSe2 is a promising candidate because its pair breaking is protected by the spin-momentum locking effect, resulting in a giant in-plane Hc2 (~50 T). However, the strong anisotropy of 2D NbSe2 suppresses the robustness of out-of-plane Hc2 (<5 T). To overcome this issue, we propose a synthetic approach to produce superconducting NbSe2 films with a nearly isotropic large Hc2. Scalable selenization methods are tailored to create 3D superconducting networks in which 2D NbSe2 flakes are vertically aligned to the substrates. The angle-resolved magneto-transports reveal enhanced Hc2 values that exceed 20 T for arbitrary directions under externally applied magnetic fields. The isotropic nature of Hc2 is attributed to the averaging intrinsic anisotropy of NbSe2 through 3D structured films, which was determined by X-ray diffraction measurements. The proposed synthetic approach will provide a new method for creating practical superconductors that are robust against magnetic fields.

The morphologic correlation between vortex transformation and upper critical field line in opal-based nanocomposites

In this study, we investigate metallic nanocomposites to elucidate the properties of nanostructured conventional superconductors. Liquid tin, indium, and mercury are loaded into opal matrices by high pressure up to 10 kbar. The opal templates preserve the 3D dendritic morphology of confined superconducting metals to model a dendritic second phase with particular grain shape in bulk superconductors observed by a DualBeam microscope. We carry out measurements of the dc and ac magnetizations to study the superconducting phase diagrams, vortex dynamics, and impact of grain morphology in the opal composites. Besides, we apply the small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to deny a regular vortex structure. The phase diagrams reveal an enhanced upper critical field Hc2(0) and curvature crossover in the upper critical field line. We also calculate the vortex activation barriers Ua and observe a transformation in the vortex system. According to the field dependence of Ua, the vortex structure transformation highly correlates with the curvature crossover in the upper critical field line. Our observations suggest that the similarity in the normalized phase diagrams and field dependences of Ua in the three nanocomposites is owing to their particular morphology of confinement.

Superconducting properties of sintered ex situ MgB2 tapes through ball milling process as a function of crystallite size in the as-milled and sintered states

Ball milled MgB2 powders and ex situ processed tapes using those milled powders were sintered at various temperatures. Critical temperature (Tc) increases moderately with increasing sintering temperature (Tsin) up to 705 – 735 °C, at which best performance in transport critical current density (Jc) at 4.2 K in 10 T for the tape samples is obtained. In contrast, the Tc rapidly increases when sintered above that temperature. Although the transport Jc property is improved with increasing the Tsin up to this optimal Tsin, further increase of the Tsin degrades the Jc property in the high-field region. These behaviors of the superconducting properties are attributed to the crystallite growth. The reduced crystallite size brought about through milling process recovers by sintering, and this recovery is remarkable above the optimal Tsin. With increasing the crystallite size, the Tc increases, whereas both upper critical field (Hc2) and irreversibility field (Hirr) decrease. While MgB2 decomposition is promoted above the optimal Tsin, grain connectivity is improved with increasing the Tsin. Thus, high-temperature sintering not only improves the grain connectivity and hence the Jc property in the low-field region, but also brings about large Jc degradation in the high-field region due to the decrease in Hc2 and Hirr at 4.2 K. Since the crystallite size in the as-milled and sintering states are linked with one another, those superconducting properties of the optimally sintered tapes in which MgB2 decomposition is ignorable are easily deduced from the crystallite size of MgB2 in the filling powders.

Effect of Co2N impurity on the superconducting properties of δ-MoN thin films grown by polymer assisted deposition

We report the effect of Co2N impurity on the superconducting properties of δ-MoN thin films grown by polymer-assisted deposition on c-cut sapphire (Al2O3). The films show a superconducting transition temperature of 10.4 K and an upper critical field Hc2(0) perpendicular to the film surface around 3 T. The latter corresponds to a relatively large coherence length ξ, which enhances the two-dimensional limit when the magnetic field is applied parallel to the film surface. In comparison with pure δ-MoN films, the inclusion of Co2N impurity in the δ-MoN films could significantly modify the critical current density at the vortex-free state. The ability to tune the superconducting properties of metal-nitride superconductors by introducing chemically and structurally compatible impurity may find potential applications for superconducting single-photon detectors.

Zero-field ferroelectric state and magnetoelectric coupling in antiferromagnetic Fe4Nb2O9 single crystal

High quality Fe4Nb2O9 single crystal was grown by optical floating zone method. The magnetization-temperature(M-T) curves, isothermal magnetization curves(M-H) and pyroelectric current-temperature curves of the single crystal along different crystallographic directions were measured. The results of magnetization measurements which shows the Néel temperature TN of around 90 K and the in-plane magnetic structure of Fe4Nb2O9 are very consistent with the reported magnetic structure obtained by neutron diffraction. The isothermal magnetization curves along [210] direction show spin flop phase transition and a local ferromagnetic loop under 50 K. The critical field HC of spin flop phase transition is found to be 94 kOe. Pyroelectric current-temperature curves show ferroelectric polarization below about 90 K under zero magnetic field, which has not been reported before in single crystal Fe4Nb2O9. At the same time, Fe4Nb2O9 shows magnetoelectric coupling effect. With the increase of magnetic field, the polarization increases to over 300 μC/m2 along a axis under applied magnetic field of 70 kOe.

The activation energy U(T,B) in high temperature superconductor

It is reported in this paper on the thermally assisted flux flow in epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ deposited by Laser ablation method on the SrTiO3 substrate. The resistivity measurements ρ (T, B) of the sample under various values of the magnetic field up to 14T in directions B∥ab-plane and B∥c-axis with a dc weak transport current density were investigated in order to determine the activation energy and then understand the vortex dynamic phenomena and therefore deduce the vortex phase diagram of this material. The apparent activation energy U0 (B) calculated using an Arrhenius relation. The measured results of the resistivity were then adjusted to the modified thermally assisted flux flow model in order to account for the temperature-field dependence of the activation energy U (T, B). The obtained values from the thermally assisted activation energy, exhibit a behavior similar to the one showed with the Arrhenius model, albeit larger than the apparent activation energy with ∼1.5 order on magnitude for both cases of the magnetic field directions. The vortex glass model was also used to obtain the vortex-glass transition temperature from the linear fitting of [d ln ρ/dT ] −1 plots. In the course of this work thanks to the resistivity measurements the upper critical magnetic field Hc2 (T), the irreversibility line Hirr (T) and the crossover field HCrossOver (T) were located. These three parameters allowed us to establish a phase diagram of the studied material where limits of each vortex phase are sketched in order to optimize its applicability as a practical high temperature superconductor used for diverse purposes.

Hybrid Physical Chemical Vapour Deposition (HPCVD) of Superconducting MgB2 Thin Films on three Dimensional Copper Substrates

The present work reports the design, development and application of a novel Hybrid Physical Chemical Vapour Deposition (HPCVD) technique for depositing MgB2 thin films, with potential superconductivity, directly on three dimensional (3D) surfaces. A novel solenoid magnetron based set up was used for depositing MgB2 thin films on 3D surfaces of Cu tube. Mg rod was used as the sputter target and source of Mg while high purity BBr3 was used as a novel boron precursor, which was injected into the system using Argon as carrier gas. The plasma mediated decomposition of BBr3 in presence of H2 gas was followed by chemical reaction between Mg and B atoms to deposit MgB2 film on the substrate. Samples were characterized by SEM, EDX, XRD and SQUID techniques. SEM-EDX confirmed deposition of a homogeneous, pore free and dense MgB2 film, while XRD analysis revealed the film to be polycrystalline and multiphasic rather than being purely c-axis oriented. Superconductivity analysis carried out using SQUID measurements indicated a sharp transition with Tc value of 39 K. From the M-H hysteresis loop, the lower critical field Hc1 and critical current density Jc at 4.2 K were calculated to be 700 Oe and 3.5 x 10 7 A/cm 2 , respectively.

High-Pressure Crystal Growth, Superconducting Properties, and Electronic Band Structure of Nb2P5

Orthorhombic (space group: Pnma) Nb2P5 is a high-pressure phase that is quenchable to ambient pressure, which could viewed as the zigzag infinite P chain-inserted NbP2. We report herein the high-pressure crystal growth of Nb2P5 and the discovery of its superconducting transition at Tc ~ 2.6 K. The electrical resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat capacity measurements on the high-quality crystal unveiled a conventional type-II weakly coupled s-wave nature of the superconductivity, with the upper critical field Hc2(0) ~ 0.5 T, the electron-phonon coupling strength {\lambda}ep ~ 0.5 - 0.8, and the Ginzburg-Landau parameter \k{appa} ~ 100. The ab initio calculations on the electronic band structure unveiled nodal-line structures protected by different symmetries. The one caused by band inversion, for example, on the {\Gamma}-X and U-R paths of the Brillouin zone, likely could bring nontrivial topology and hence possible nontrivial surface state on the surface. The surface states on the (100), (010) and (110) surfaces were also calculated and discussed. The discovery of the phosphorus-rich Nb2P5 superconductor would be instructive for the design of more metal phosphides superconductors which might host unconventional superconductivity or potential technical applications.