Scientific article
English

Nonmonotonic superconducting transition temperature and large bulk modulus in the alloy superconductor Nb4Rh2C1−δ

Published inPhysical review. B, vol. 110, no. 21, 214520
First online date2024-12-31
Abstract

We revised normal-state and superconducting properties of an alloy superconductor N⁢b4⁢R⁢h2⁡C1−𝛿 through electrical transport, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat. Our results reveal that it is a Pauli paramagnetic bad metal, a strongly coupled superconductor with specific heat jump Δ⁢𝐶e/𝛾𝑛⁢𝑇c∼1.65 and double 𝑠-wave gap symmetry. The evolution of superconducting transition temperature 𝑇c was investigated by high-pressure electrical transport. It was found that 𝑇c exhibits a nonmonotonic pressure dependence with a maximum 𝑇maxc∼11 K, which is a record for the η-carbide alloy superconductors. Zero-temperature upper critical field 𝐵c⁢2⁡(0) reduces smoothly from beyond to below the Pauli limit in 40–50 GPa. In situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction reveals a relatively large bulk modulus 𝐵0 ∼ 278.6 GPa in comparison with other alloy superconductors, which can explain the small-pressure coefficient d⁢𝑇c/d𝑃 ∼ −0.045 K/GPa above 20 GPa. The observations of high 𝑇c and large 𝐵0 make N⁢b4⁢R⁢h2⁡C1−𝛿 a promising superhard alloy superconductor. The pressure evolution of 𝐵c⁢2⁡(0) is discussed in terms of Fermi surface reconstructions and the ratio of superconducting coherence length and electron mean free path of polycrystalline superconductors.

Research groups
Funding
  • National Key Research and Development Program of China - [2024YFA1408400]
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China - [12474055]
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences - [XDB33000000]
Citation (ISO format)
SHI, Lifen et al. Nonmonotonic superconducting transition temperature and large bulk modulus in the alloy superconductor Nb4Rh2C1−δ. In: Physical review. B, 2024, vol. 110, n° 21, p. 214520. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.110.214520
Main files (1)
Article (Published version)
accessLevelRestricted
Identifiers
Additional URL for this publicationhttps://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.214520
Journal ISSN2469-9950
49views
0downloads

Technical informations

Creation01/20/2025 1:15:17 PM
First validation01/22/2025 12:58:01 PM
Update time01/22/2025 12:58:01 PM
Status update01/22/2025 12:58:01 PM
Last indexation01/22/2025 12:58:02 PM
All rights reserved by Archive ouverte UNIGE and the University of GenevaunigeBlack