Superconducting Properties Research Articles

Exploring Heusler superconducting properties for Ni2ZrAl and Ni2ZrGa Heusler compounds: First principal insight

This paper presents a theoretical study of structural, mechanical, electronic, vibrational and superconducting properties of full Heusler compounds Ni2ZrZ (Z= Al and Ga) using the norm conserving pseudo potential within the framework of Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Density Functional Perturbation Theory (DFPT). Our finding reveal that the non-magnetic L21 phase structure is energetically more stable for both compounds. The band structure shows that these compounds have a metallic behavior with a saddle point (Van Hove Singularity) at L-point. Elastic and vibrational properties analysis confirm the mechanical and dynamical stability of our studied compounds. The Ni2ZrAl and Ni2ZrGa exhibit BCS weak coupling superconductivity with critical temperatures of 1.78 K and 2.68 K, respectively. The study extends to explore the impact of Hf concentrations, providing valuable insights into the superconducting properties of Ni2Zr(1-x)HfxGa alloys.

Role of defects in increasing the critical current density of reel-to-reel PLD (Eu,Er)Ba2Cu3Oy+BaHfO3-coated conductors

Given their excellent superconducting properties, REBa2Cu3Oy (REBCO)-coated conductors (CCs) are anticipated to be utilized in a variety of magnet applications. To further increase the critical current density J c of these materials to levels needed for commercial applications, this study employs reel-to-reel (RTR) pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to fabricate REBCO+BaHfO3 (BHO) CCs. PLD creates BHO nanorods, which serve as flux-pinning defects. The material is subjected to O2+ irradiation to introduce more defects. The irradiation-induced defects serve as flux-pinning centers to the REBCO+BHO-nanorod CCs, increasing J c along the c axis and over a wide range of magnetic-field angles compared with conventional REBCO+BHO-nanorod CCs. Both nanorods and irradiation-induced defects are demonstrated to be effective pinning centers in this material.

Nontrivial d-electrons driven superconductivity of transition metal diborides

Leveraging the progress of first-principles modelings in understanding the mechanisms of superconductivity of materials, in this work we investigate the phonon-mediated superconducting properties of transition metal diborides. We report that TaB2 and NbB2 show superconducting transition temperatures as high as 27.0 and 26.0 K at ambient conditions, respectively, comparable with those obtained for CaB2 or MgB2. By mode-by-mode analysis of the electron-phonon-coupling, we reveal that the high superconducting temperature of transition metal diborides is due mainly to the strong coupling between d electrons of the transition metals and the acoustic phonon modes along out-of-plane vibrations. This fact is distinct from that of CaB2 or MgB2, where the superconductivity stems mainly from the boron px and py orbitals, which couple strongly to the optical phonon modes dominated by in-plane B atomic vibrations. Further, we find that transition metal diborides present only a superconducting gap at low temperatures, whereas CaB2 or MgB2 are double superconducting gap superconductors. In addition, we investigate the strain effect on the superconducting transition temperatures of diborides, predicting that Tc can be further enhanced by optimizing the phonon and electronic interactions. This study sheds some light on the exploring high Tc boron-based superconductor materials.

A novel method to enhance the superconducting properties of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ superconducting thin films by self-assembly NiO nanorods

The utilization of Bi-based superconductors in magnetic field environments is limited due to their anisotropic structure and lack of efficient magnetic flux pinning sites. Therefore, to enhance the performance of Bi-based superconductors in a magnetic field, this study presents the preparation of Bi2212 high-temperature superconducting thin films with varying NiO doping levels on SrTiO3 (STO) single crystal substrates with different concentrations of NiO seed layers via the self-assembly method. Additionally, phase purity, crystal structure, surface morphology, and transport properties were thoroughly analyzed. According to the results, the NiO seed layers prepared on the STO substrates presented epitaxial growth characteristics, with the NiO second phase in the Bi2212 matrix growing epitaxially along the seed layers. As NiO doping slightly broadens the phase formation temperature range of Bi2212 superconducting thin films, the self-assembly method can be utilized to prepare NiO nanorods with epitaxial growth in Bi2212 thin films. Notably, the self-assembled NiO-doped Bi2212 thin film demonstrated higher critical current carrying capacity, with its Jc reaching 6.28 × 104 A/cm2 at 10 K in self-field. This provides a technical reference for improving the performance of high-temperature superconducting thin films under a high magnetic field.

Fe(Se,Te) Thin Films Deposited through Pulsed Laser Ablation from Spark Plasma Sintered Targets.

Iron-based superconductors are under study for their potential for high-field applications due to their excellent superconducting properties such as low structural anisotropy, large upper critical fields and low field dependence of the critical current density. Between them, Fe(Se,Te) is simple to be synthesized and can be fabricated as a coated conductor through laser ablation on simple metallic templates. In order to make all the steps simple and fast, we have applied the spark plasma sintering technique to synthesize bulk Fe(Se,Te) to obtain quite dense polycrystals in a very short time. The resulting polycrystals are very well connected and show excellent superconducting properties, with a critical temperature onset of about 16 K. In addition, when used as targets for pulsed laser ablation, good thin films are obtained with a critical current density above 105 A cm-2 up to 16 T.

Two-fold symmetry of the in-plane resistance in kagome superconductor Cs(V1–xTax)3Sb5 with enhanced superconductivity

Abstract The kagome superconductor CsV3Sb5 has attracted widespread attention due to its rich correlated electron states including superconductivity, charge density wave (CDW), nematicity, and pair density wave. Notably, the modulation of the intertwined electronic orders by the chemical doping is significant to illuminate the cooperation/competition between multiple phases in kagome superconductors. In this study, we have synthesized a series of tantalum-substituted Cs(V1−x Ta x )3Sb5 by a modified self-flux method. Electrical transport measurements reveal that CDW is suppressed gradually and becomes undetectable as the doping content of x is over 0.07. Concurrently, the superconductivity is enhanced monotonically from T c ∼ 2.8 K at x = 0 to 5.2 K at x = 0.12. Intriguingly, in the absence of CDW, Cs(V1−x Ta x )3Sb5 (x = 0.12) crystals exhibit a pronounced two-fold symmetry of the in-plane angular-dependent magnetoresistance (AMR) in the superconducting state, indicating the anisotropic superconducting properties in the Cs(V1−x Ta x )3Sb5. Our findings demonstrate that Cs(V1−x Ta x )3Sb5 with the non-trivial band topology is an excellent platform to explore the superconductivity mechanism and intertwined electronic orders in quantum materials.

Magnetic proximity sensor based on colossal magnetoresistance effect

Magnetic proximity sensors are widely used to determine the distance to ferromagnetic or highly conductive materials and to investigate their shape or to detect their motion. In this study, a magnetic proximity sensor incorporating a cylindrical permanent magnet and a scalar magnetic field sensor (measuring the magnitude of the field independently from its orientation) based on the phenomenon of colossal magnetoresistance in manganite films is presented. Two versions of the sensor, one with a solid cylindrical magnet and one with a hollow cylindrical magnet, were constructed and tested. A steel plate and a superconducting YBaCuO disk were used to investigate the static response. The measurements of the dynamic behavior were carried out with rotating steel and duralumin plates. The results of the static experiments and modelling showed that the output response (change of the magnetic field) of the sensor had a hyperbolic relationship with the distance between the sensor and the measured object. This change was positive for solid cylindrical magnet design and negative for hollow cylindrical magnet design when the target was steel. In contrast, the solid magnet-based sensor produced a negative signal for the superconducting material, while the hollow cylindrical magnet sensor showed a positive signal. It was found that the main features of the dynamic response of the proximity sensors can be explained by the magnetization of steel and the induction of eddy currents in duralumin. The present study demonstrates that the proposed magnetic proximity sensor can be successfully used to search for ferromagnetic objects, investigate the properties of superconductors and detect the motion of non-ferromagnetic conductive materials and can have advantages over conventional magnetic proximity sensors.

A route to fabricate low resistance joints between Eu–Ba–Cu–O bulk, single grain superconductors

The fabrication of large (RE)–Ba–Cu–O single grains [(RE)BCO], where RE = Y, Gd, Eu or Sm, with the complex geometries required for many practical applications is currently limited by the time intensive, complex nature of the grain growth process. In addition, the shapes achievable using established melt processing techniques, such as top seeded melt growth, are constrained significantly by the limited number of post-processing techniques readily available. Machining of these materials is also difficult given their ceramic-like mechanical properties, which makes them both brittle and hard. A potential alternative to the slow and inflexible melt growth processes is to join many small, single grains to form one large composite grain, connected by electrically and mechanically high-performance joints. A reliable joining technique would also greatly reduce the need for post-growth machining processes. In this work we extend our previous investigation of the use of single grain YBCO-Ag as an intermediate joining material to achieve effective and reliable superconducting joints between EuBCO-Ag bulk, single grain superconductors. The technique reported in the earlier studies requires limited specialist equipment and does not require tight process parameter control, since there is no need to re-grow the joining material at the intergrain interface. This technique is of particular interest given that the difference between the peritectic temperatures of the bulk superconductor and the intermediate joining material is large. We report the properties of seven joints engineered at different joining temperatures. The trapped field properties of the resulting joined samples were measured and the microstructure at the position of the joint examined. We demonstrate that this simple and the rapid joining technique makes it possible to manufacture composite grains in an industrially important (RE)BCO bulk superconductor with comparable superconducting properties to those of a single grain of similar dimensions.

Assessment of superconducting and structural stability of advanced Y-123 and Y-358 ceramics with Tb/Y substitution in main matrices

In this study, the performances of Y1-x(Tb)xBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y-123) and Y3-x(Tb)xBa5Cu8O18-δ (Y-358) advanced ceramics prepared by sol-gel preparation route are investigated by the advanced characterization methods including X-ray diffraction (XRD), temperature dependent resistivity (ρ-T), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy distribution spectroscopy (EDS) measurements and theoretical approaches. The EDS results illustrated that the Tb impurities were replaced successfully by the yttrium sites in the YBa2Cu3O7-y main matrix. Similarly, it was noted that the presence of excess impurities in the crystal structure led to the oxygenation problems. Electrical properties were determined by temperature dependent resistivity (ρ-T) measurements. ρ-T results indicated that Tb doping reduced the critical transition temperature (Tc) values for the transition to superconductivity for all samples in two YBCO phases. Although it appears to have negative effects of Tb ions on the number of mobile charge carrier concentrations in the σ antibonding in-plane Cu-O bonds, bipolaron formations in the polarizable lattices, oxidation states, and amplitude of the pair wave function of both phases, the other valuable properties (morphology, crystallinity quality, interaction between adjacent layers, critical current density, and flux pinning ability) were noted to improve remarkably in the case of the optimum amount in the Y-123 superconducting phase. In this context, the Y-358 superconducting phase was harshly affected by the substitution due to the change of the ortorombicity, localization problem, impurity phases, structure stabilization, crystal structure quality, crystallization system, homogeneities of oxidation states, oxygen ordering degree, and impurity scatterings. Besides, the analysis of the fluctuation induced conductivity indicated that the Y-123 ceramics with longer c-axis coherence length and less anisotropic nature exhibited well superconducting properties. Additionally, the doping ratio of x=0.01 led to the formation and distribution of more nucleation centers for the thermal fluxon motions of 2D pancake vortices. Similarly, the optimum Tb doped Y-123 system exhibited much durable to applied field strengths due to the best interaction quality between grains. Accordingly, this study recommended that the Y1-x(Tb)xBa2Cu3O7-δ advanced ceramic structure with new functionalities can find much more application areas in innovative, heavy-industrial technologies, and advanced engineering-related sectors.

Penetration depth and critical fields in superconducting NbTi thin films grown by co-sputtering at room temperature

We present a study on the superconducting properties of 300 nm thick NbTi thin films grown by co-sputtering on silicon substrates at room temperature. The samples exhibit a Nb (50 at%) and Ti (50 at%) chemical composition, revealing a polycrystalline structure textured along the (110) axis of the body-centered cubic structure. The measured superconducting critical temperature (T c ) was 9.65 K, and the upper critical field extrapolated to zero temperature reached approximately 15 T, resulting in a coherence length at zero temperature of approximately 4.7 nm. The penetration depth was determined through local magnetic force microscopy measurements conducted at temperatures from 4.25 to 7 K. The obtained values range from (250 ± 15) nm at 4.25 K to (370 ± 20) nm at 7 K. Extrapolating these measurements to zero temperature, we obtained an estimated value of (230 ± 20) nm. To extend the performance and potential applications of NbTi, we additionally grew a 150 nm thick sample on flexible polyimide. In this case, we observed that the films preserved their superconducting properties, displaying a decrease in T c to 9.2 K and a similar upper critical field compared to samples grown on silicon. The feasibility of growing NbTi alloys at room temperature, with superconducting parameters comparable to or superior to metallic Nb for the upper critical field, renders this system promising for cryogenic applications, particularly in the development of high-performance electronic devices on both rigid and flexible substrates.

Superconductivity properties of Pd-Heusler rare earth from ab initio and isotropic Eliashberg function

Ab initio was employed to investigate the structural, electronic, and superconducting properties of the Heusler alloys Pd2TmSn, Pd2YbSn, and Pd2LuSn. The results reveal that these alloys exhibit both structural and dynamic stability in a cubic face-centered lattice. The isotropic Eliashberg function was used to calculate the superconductor properties. The phonon–electron couplings fall within the range characteristic of medium-coupling superconductors. Analysis of the Fermi surfaces identifies the presence of necks connecting the first Brillouin zones, which facilitate electron pairing. The calculated superconducting critical temperatures using the Allen–Dynes equation are in agreement with previous experimental and theoretical findings.

Coexistence of superconductivity and topological phase in kagome metals ANb3Bi5 (A = K, Rb, Cs)

The AV3Sb5 prototype kagome materials have been demonstrated as a versatile platform for exploring exotic properties in condensed matter physics, including charge density waves, superconductivity, non-trivial electron topology, as well as topological superconductivity. Here we identify that ANb3Bi5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) exhibit non-trivial coexisting superconductivity and topological properties via first-principles calculations. The negative formation energy and the absence of imaginary phonon dispersion demonstrate both thermodynamics and dynamics stabilities of ANb3Bi5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) under ambient conditions. By analytically solving the Allen-Dynes-modified McMillan formula, the superconducting transition temperatures are predicted to be 2.11, 2.15 and 2.21 K for KNb3Bi5, RbNb3Bi5, and CsNb3Bi5, respectively. More importantly, the kagome materials proposed here can be classified into Z2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$\\end{document} topological metals due to the non-trivial topological index and the obvious surface states around the Fermi level. Such coexistence of superconductivity and non-trivial band characters in ANb3Bi5 (A = K, Rb, Cs) offer us more insights to study the relationship between superconductivity and topological properties, and to design innate topological superconductors.

Superior Superconducting Properties Realized in Quaternary La-Y-Ce Hydrides at Moderate Pressures.

The recent revolution in the superconductivity field stems from hydride superconductors. Multicomponent hydrides provide a crucial platform for tracking high-temperature superconductors. Besides high superconducting transition temperature (Tc), achieving both giant upper critical magnetic field [μ0Hc2(0)] and high critical current density [Jc(0)] is also key to the latent potential of the application for hydride superconductors. In this work, we have successfully synthesized quaternary La-Y-Ce hydrides with excellent properties under moderate pressure by using the concept of "entropy engineering." The obtained temperature dependence of the resistance provides evidence for the superconductivity of Fm3m-(La,Y,Ce)H10, with the maximum Tc ∼ 190 K (at 112 GPa). Notably, Fm3m-(La,Y,Ce)H10 boasts exceptional properties: μ0Hc2(0) reaching 292 T and Jc(0) surpassing 4.61 × 107 A/cm2. Compared with the binary LaH10/YH10, we find that the Fm3m structure in (La,Y,Ce)H10 can be stable at relatively low pressures (112 GPa). These results indicate that multicomponent hydrides can significantly enhance the superconducting properties and regulate stabilizing pressure through the application of "entropy engineering." This work stimulates the experimental exploration of multihydride superconductors and also provides a reference for the search of room-temperature superconductors in more diversified hydride materials in the future.

Evidence for a finite-momentum Cooper pair in tricolor d-wave superconducting superlattices

Fermionic superfluidity with a nontrivial Cooper-pairing, beyond the conventional Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer state, is a captivating field of study in quantum many-body systems. In particular, the search for superconducting states with finite-momentum pairs has long been a challenge, but establishing its existence has long suffered from the lack of an appropriate probe to reveal its momentum. Recently, it has been proposed that the nonreciprocal electron transport is the most powerful probe for the finite-momentum pairs, because it directly couples to the supercurrents. Here we reveal such a pairing state by the non-reciprocal transport on tricolor superlattices with strong spin-orbit coupling combined with broken inversion-symmetry consisting of atomically thin d-wave superconductor CeCoIn5. We find that while the second-harmonic resistance exhibits a distinct dip anomaly at the low-temperature (T)/high-magnetic field (H) corner in the HT-plane for H applied to the antinodal direction of the d-wave gap, such an anomaly is absent for H along the nodal direction. By carefully isolating extrinsic effects due to vortex dynamics, we reveal the presence of a non-reciprocal response originating from intrinsic superconducting properties characterized by finite-momentum pairs. We attribute the high-field state to the helical superconducting state, wherein the phase of the order parameter is spontaneously spatially modulated.

Structural and superconducting properties in the Te-doped spinel CuRh2Se4

In this paper, we discuss the impact of tellurium (Te) doping on the spinel superconductor CuRh2Se4. We conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the structural and superconducting properties of the system using various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat measurements. Based on our XRD analysis, we found that the spinel superconductor CuRh2Se4-xTex (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.28) crystallizes in the space group Fd3̅m (227), while the layered compound CuRh2Se4-xTex (2.8 ≤ x ≤ 4.0) crystallizes in the space group P3̅m1 (164). The upper critical magnetic field can be increased from 0.95(2) T for CuRh2Se4 to 3.44(1) T for CuRh2Se3.72Te0.28 by doping with elemental Te. However, the layered compound CuRh2Se4-xTex (2.8 ≤ x ≤ 4.0) did not exhibit superconducting properties. Besides, the specific heat measurements of CuRh2Se4-xTex (x = 0, 0.1, 0.28) indicate that the Te element doping affects the electronic structure and interactions of the material and breaks the stability of the superconducting pairing, which leads to a decrease in the Tc. Finally, we show the electronic phase diagram of Tc with Te doping to summarise our findings.

First Results of Nb3Sn Coated Cavity by Vapor Diffusion Method at SARI

Nb3Sn is emerging as one of the focal points in superconducting radio frequency (SRF) research, owing to its excellent superconducting properties. These properties hold significant possibilities for cost reduction and the miniaturization of accelerators. In this paper, we report the recent efforts of the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI) in fabricating high-performance Nb3Sn superconducting cavities using the vapor diffusion method. This includes the construction of a Nb3Sn coating system with dual evaporators and the test results of 1.3 GHz single-cell coated cavities. The coated samples were characterized, and the growth state of the Nb3Sn films was analyzed. The first coated superconducting cavity was tested at both 4.4 K and 2 K, with different cooldown rates passing through the Nb3Sn critical temperatures. The causes of Sn droplet spot defect formation on the surface of the first cavity were analyzed, and such defects were eliminated in the coating of the second cavity by controlling the evaporation rate. This study provides a reference for the preparation of high-performance Nb3Sn-coated cavities using the vapor diffusion method, including the setup of the coating system, the comprehension of the vapor diffusion process, and the test conditions.

Superconductivity with a high upper critical field in an equiatomic high-entropy alloy Sc–V–Ti–Hf–Nb

High-entropy alloy (HEA) superconductors have attracted significant attention due to their exceptional low-temperature mechanical and superconducting properties. We report the synthesis and thorough characterization of an equiatomic HEA superconductor with the composition Sc0.20V0.20Ti0.20Hf0.20Nb0.20, crystallizing in a body-centered cubic crystal structure (Im3m¯). Our investigation, using magnetization, transport, and heat capacity measurements, reveals the presence of weakly coupled, fully gapped superconductivity with a transition temperature of 4.17(3) K and the upper critical field exceeding the Pauli paramagnetic limit. The metallic nature, combined with a high upper critical field, positions it as a promising candidate for applications in superconducting devices.

Analyze the Structure and Electrical Properties of PbBr2 Ca1.9Sb0.1Cu3O8+ δ Superconducting Gamma Irradiation

The purpose of the current work was to evaluate the effect of Radiation of Gamma on the superconducting characteristics of the compound PbBr2Ca1.9Sb0.1Cu3O8+ δ utilizing a 137Cs source at doses of 10, 15, and 20MRad. Solid state reaction technology was used to prepare the samples. Before and after irradiation, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and superconductor properties were examined. Results indicated that the tetragonal structure of our chemical corresponds to the Pb-1223 phase with an increase in the ratio c/a as a result of gamma irradiation. (Tc (onset)) and on set temperature Tc (offset)) were also dropping from 113 to the 85.6 K and 129.5 to 97 K, respectively, for a transition temperatures.

Magneto-structural phase transitions and two-dimensional spin waves in graphite

We have previously found experimental evidence for several quantum phenomena in oxygen-ion implanted of hydrogenated graphite: ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, paramagentism, triplet superconductivity, Andreev states, Little-Parks oscillations, Lamb shift, Casimir effect, colossal magnetoresistance, and topologically-protected flat-energy bands [1-6]. Triplet superconductivity results in the formation of Josephson junctions, thus with potential of being used for spintronics applications in the critical area of quantum computing. In this paper, we are showing new experimental evidence for the formation of two-dimensional (2D) spin waves in oxygen-ion enriched and in hydrogenated highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. The temperature evolution of the remanent magnetization M rem(T) data confirms the formation of spin waves that follow the 2D Heisenberg model with a weak uniaxial anisotropy. In addition, the step-like features also found in the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity between insulating and metallic states suggest several outstanding possibilities, such as a structural transition, triplet superconductivity, and chiral properties.

Oscillations of the amplitude of the Cooper pair gap induced by interactions between Cooper pairs in the framework of BCS theory

According to BCS theory, superconductivity arises from the weak attraction between electrons. In particular, Cooper pairs are important in determining the properties of superconductivity; therefore, the theoretical description of Cooper pairs is based on the mean-field approximation used in the BCS theory. However, the mean-field approximation cannot estimate the contribution induced by the interactions between Cooper pairs, i.e., many-body terms, accurately. In this article, therefore, using simultaneous differential equations derived from time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we show the detailed description of the Cooper pairs including such interactions, which has not been mentioned in BCS theory so far. We reveal that the time dependence oscillates when interactions between Cooper pairs are accurately considered. Based on theses calculations, the coupling of the Cooper pair gap can become zero, suggesting that the Cooper pairs can be switched on and off in real superconductors in the framework of BCS theory.