Pressure-Induced Structural Phase Transition and Superconductivity in NaSn5.
Chun-Mei Hao1, Yunguo Li1,2, Hong-Mei Huang1
1School of Physics and Electronic Engineering , Jiangsu Normal University , Xuzhou 221116 , People's Republic of China.
Inorganic Chemistry
|December 13, 2019
Summary
Researchers studied NaSn5 under pressure, discovering a new hexagonal phase with potential superconductivity. This phase exhibits strong electron-phonon coupling, crucial for designing new superconducting materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Solid State Chemistry
Background:
- The tin-rich compound NaSn5's properties are not fully understood under high pressure.
- Investigating pressure-induced phase transitions is key to discovering novel material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and electronic properties of NaSn5 under high pressure.
- To explore the potential for superconductivity in pressure-induced phases of NaSn5.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the evolutionary algorithm (EA) technique.
- Performed first-principles total energy calculations.
- Analyzed structural and electronic properties up to 10 GPa.
Main Results:
- Identified a phase transition from tetragonal P4̅21m to hexagonal P6/mmm at 1.85 GPa.
- The P6/mmm phase exhibits a quasi-layered sandwich structure.
- Observed strong electron-phonon coupling (EPC) and potential superconductivity with a critical temperature (Tc) of 5.91 K at 1.85 GPa.
Conclusions:
- The P6/mmm phase of NaSn5 shows promising superconductivity due to strong EPC.
- The findings offer insights into designing intercalated compounds for superconductivity.
More Related Videos
05:39Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform
Published on: August 2, 2019
10.2K
09:06Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
8.5K
Related Concept Videos
02:31Phase Transitions
22.2K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
22.2K
01:28Types Of Superconductors
1.5K
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...
1.5K
01:24Superconductor
1.7K
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...
1.7K
01:19Phase Diagram
6.9K
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).
6.9K
02:39Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
14.4K
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
14.4K
02:33Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
19.5K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
19.5K