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Absence of superconductivity in LiCu2P2
1National Laboratory for Superconductivity, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|January 27, 2011
Summary
This study investigated LiCu(2)P(2) for superconductivity. Repeatable synthesis and measurements found no superconducting transition above 2 K, indicating metallic behavior and Curie-Weiss magnetism instead.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Previous reports suggested LiCu(2)P(2) exhibits superconductivity with a critical temperature (T(c)) of 3.7 K.
- Copper-based pnictides are an area of interest for novel electronic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To independently verify the reported superconductivity in LiCu(2)P(2).
- To characterize the electronic and magnetic properties of synthesized LiCu(2)P(2) samples.
- To explore the effects of stoichiometry on the properties of LiCu(2)P(2).
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of polycrystalline and single-crystalline LiCu(2)P(2).
- Temperature-dependent resistivity and DC magnetization measurements from 2 K to 300 K.
- Hall effect and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements.
- Synthesis of various stoichiometries of Li(1-x)Cu(2)P(2), LiCu(2-x)P(2), and Li(1+x)Cu(2-x)P(2).
Main Results:
- No superconducting transition was observed in resistivity or DC magnetization above 2 K for any synthesized samples.
- Resistivity measurements indicated metallic behavior.
- DC magnetization exhibited Curie-Weiss behavior from 2 K to 300 K.
- Hall effect and MR measurements suggested a single-band character for LiCu(2)P(2).
Conclusions:
- The superconductivity of LiCu(2)P(2) previously reported could not be reproduced.
- Synthesized LiCu(2)P(2) displays metallic characteristics and magnetic behavior consistent with localized moments.
- Variations in stoichiometry did not induce superconductivity in the investigated LiCu(2)P(2) system.
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