Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026
05:39
Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform
Published on: August 2, 2019
Ternary transition metal phosphides: High-temperature superconductors.
1Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974.
Summary
Researchers synthesized two new families of ternary transition metal phosphides, MRuP and MOsP, featuring an ordered Fe(2)P-type hexagonal structure. The ZrRuP compound exhibited superconductivity with a transition temperature onset of 13.0 K.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Inorganic Chemistry
Background:
- Ternary transition metal phosphides are a class of compounds with diverse electronic and magnetic properties.
- The Fe(2)P-type hexagonal structure is known to host interesting physical phenomena.
- Exploring new compositions within this structural family can lead to novel material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize two new series of ternary transition metal phosphides with the general formulas MRuP and MOsP.
- To investigate the structural and superconducting properties of these newly discovered compounds.
- To identify potential new superconducting materials within this class of phosphides.
Main Methods:
- Solid-state synthesis techniques were employed to prepare the MRuP and MOsP compounds.
- X-ray diffraction was used for structural characterization to confirm the ordered Fe(2)P-type hexagonal structure.
- Physical property measurements, including magnetic susceptibility, were conducted to determine the superconducting transition temperature.
Main Results:
- Two distinct systems of ternary transition metal phosphides, MRuP and MOsP, were successfully synthesized.
- All synthesized compounds adopted the ordered Fe(2)P-type hexagonal crystal structure.
- The zirconium ruthenium phosphide (ZrRuP) compound demonstrated superconducting behavior with a transition temperature onset of 13.0 K.
Conclusions:
- The successful synthesis of MRuP and MOsP compounds expands the known library of Fe(2)P-type hexagonal phosphides.
- ZrRuP emerges as a promising new superconductor with a notable transition temperature.
- Further investigations into the superconducting mechanisms and related properties of these phosphides are warranted.
Related Concept Videos
02:32Bonding in Metals
Metallic bonds are formed between two metal atoms. A simplified model to describe metallic bonding has been developed by Paul Drüde called the “Electron Sea Model”.
02:58Properties of Transition Metals
Transition metals are defined as those elements that have partially filled d orbitals. As shown in Figure 1, the d-block elements in groups 3–12 are transition elements. The f-block elements, also called inner transition metals (the lanthanides and actinides), also meet this criterion because the d orbital is partially occupied before the f orbitals.
01:19Phase Diagram
The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).
01:24Superconductor
A substance that reaches superconductivity, a state in which magnetic fields cannot penetrate, and there is no electrical resistance, is referred to as a superconductor. In 1911, Heike Kamerlingh Onnes of Leiden University, a Dutch physicist, observed a relation between the temperature and the resistance of the element mercury. The mercury sample was then cooled in liquid helium to study the linear dependence of resistance on temperature. It was observed that, as the temperature decreased, the...
01:28Types Of Superconductors
A superconductor is a substance that offers zero resistance to the electric current when it drops below a critical temperature. Zero resistance is not the only interesting phenomenon as materials reach their transition temperatures. A second effect is the exclusion of magnetic fields. This is known as the Meissner effect. A light, permanent magnet placed over a superconducting sample will levitate in a stable position above the superconductor. High-speed trains that levitate on strong...
01:21Phase Transitions
A phase transition is the process in which a substance changes from one state of matter to another, like from a solid to a liquid, liquid to gas, or vice versa, at a specific temperature and under given pressure conditions. This change is spontaneous and is affected by alterations in temperature and pressure. These parameters impact the strength of the forces between molecules (intermolecular forces) in the substance.During a phase transition, both the initial and final phases of the substance...