SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 1509.00945

Impact of Ni doping on critical parameters of PdTe type-II BCS superconductor

Abstract

We report the impact of Ni doping on superconductivity of PdTe superconductor. The superconducting parameters like critical temperature (Tc), upper critical field (Hc2) and normalized specific-heat jump are reported for Ni doped Pd1-xNixTe. The samples of series Pd1-xNixTe with nominal compositions x=0, .01, 0.05, 0.07, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3 and 1.0 are synthesized via solid state reaction route. All the studied samples of series Pd1-xNixTe (x = 0.0 to 1.0) are crystallized in hexagonal crystal structure within the space group P63/mmc. Unit cell volume shrinks almost linearly upon Ni doping in Pd1-xNixTe. The normal state residual resistivity increases with Ni substitution on Pd site. Both the electrical resistivity and magnetic measurements revealed that Tc decreases with increase of Ni concentration in Pd1-xNixTe and is not observed down to 2K for x=0.30 i.e., 30% of Ni doping at Pd site. Interestingly, this is unusual for magnetic Ni doping in a known type-II BCS type superconductor. Magnetic Ni must suppress the superconductivity much faster. Interestingly, the isothermal magnetization measurements for NiTe revealed that Ni is non-magnetic in Pd1-xNixTe structure and hence the Tc depression is mainly due to disorder. The magneto-transport measurements revealed that flux is better pinned for 20% Ni doped PdTe as compared to other compositions of Pd1-xNixTe. The magnetic field dependence of specific heat of Pd1-xNixTe for x=0.01 was studied and the estimated value of the normalized specific-heat jump,is found to be 1.42, which is under BCS weak-coupling limit. Summarily, we report the impact of Ni doping in Pd1-xNixTe superconductor and conclude that Ni substitutes at Pd site, suppress superconductivity moderately and is of non magnetic nature in this system. To best of our knowledge this is the first study on Ni substitution in PdTe superconductor.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Rajveer Jha, Reena Goyal, Brajesh Tiwari, V. P. S. Awana. 2015-09-03. Impact of Ni doping on critical parameters of PdTe type-II BCS superconductor. https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.00945

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Out-of-equilibrium relaxation dynamics of the superconducting order parameter in CsV$_3$Sb$_5$

The application of a time-varying strain field drives a superconducting order parameter out of equilibrium. How the order parameter relaxes back to equilibrium depends both on the structure of the superconducting gap and on the nature of quasiparticle scattering. We report the discovery of an ultrasonic attenuation peak inside the superconducting state of the kagome superconductor CsV$_3$Sb$_5$. This peak is the natural consequence of the order parameter relaxation time matching the ultrasonic drive frequency near $T_{\rm c}$. From the measured frequency dependence of the peak, we extract a microscopic scattering time of $\tau_N = 25$ ps. This timescale is two orders of magnitude longer than the elastic scattering time as determined by resistivity measurements, but is comparable to the inelastic scattering time determined by thermal transport. Within the conventional framework of order-parameter relaxation, this implies that elastic scattering is ineffective at relaxing the superconducting condensate, consistent with a sign-preserving $s$-wave state obeying Anderson's theorem.

cond-mat.supr-con

Eight-unit-cell electronic modulations in cuprates originating from local molecular orbitals

The pair density wave (PDW) state with eight-unit-cell (8a0) periodicity has been widely regarded as the primary order in cuprates, yet its existence and origin remain subjects of intense debate. Using spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, we observe spatial modulations of the electronic states with approximately 8a0 periodicity in both the superconducting and insulating regimes of hole-doped Ca2CuO2Cl2 cuprate. We find that the 8a0 spatial patterns are generated by the formation of molecular orbitals by doped holes, which organize into 4a0*4a0 plaquettes as the basic unit. Our results identify the 4a0 molecular orbital as the fundamental electronic building block in cuprates, while the 8a0 PDW represents a spatial subharmonic that emerges at sufficiently high doping.

cond-mat.supr-con

Record-Breaking Elemental Superconductivity in Tetralayer Kagome Borophene

Superconductivity above the liquid-nitrogen temperature remains rare in two-dimensional elemental crystals, where strong covalent bonding often yields high phonon frequencies but insufficient electron-phonon coupling. Here, using first-principles calculations and fully anisotropic Migdal-Eliashberg theory, we predict tetralayer kagome borophene (TKB) stabilized by ABAB covalent stacking, as a liquid-nitrogen-temperature elemental superconductor. With a predicted critical temperature of 102 K, TKB sets a record-high value among previously reported elemental superconductors. Unlike known high-Tc boron-based superconductors dominated by in-plane sigma-bonding states and high-frequency in-plane B-B stretching modes, TKB realizes an out-of-plane s-pz-bonding-mediated pairing mechanism, in which interlayer s-pz bonding states at the Fermi level are strongly coupled to low-frequency out-of-plane vibrations of boron atoms. These results reveal a distinct out-of-plane pairing channel in multilayer borophene and establish covalent stacking engineering as a potential route for high-Tc superconductivity in two-dimensional materials.

cond-mat.supr-con