First-principles study of moderate phonon-mediated pairing in high-pressure monoclinic phase of BiS_(2)-based superconductors

Isotope effect on superconductive transition temperature(T_c)is an essential indicator to examine whether the mechanism of superconductors is conventional.Unconventional isotope effect of BiS_(2)-based superconductors has been previously reported in ambient-pressure tetragonal phase.However,to comprehensively ascertain the nature of superconductivity,the investigation of BiS_(2)-based system in high-pressure structure is highly desirable.In this work,we carried out the first-principles calculations of phonon spectra and superconductivity in high-pressure monoclinic phase of LaO_(0.5)F_(0.5)BiS_(2)with ^(32)S and ^(34)S,and observed that the corresponding isotope coefficient is 0.13≤α≤0.20.This value is much greater than that of BiS_(2)-based superconductors in ambient-pressure phase,but slightly smaller than that of conventional MgB_2.Taking into account the calculated T_(c) lower than experimental results,we finally conclude that the moderate phonon-mediated pairing plays a significant role in forming superconductivity of BiS_(2)-based system in high-pressure phase,moreover,the cooperative multiple paring interactions should also be considered.

Fundamental and progress of Bi_2Te_3-based thermoelectric materials

Thermoelectric materials,enabling the directing conversion between heat and electricity,are one of the promising candidates for overcoming environmental pollution and the upcoming energy shortage caused by the over-consumption of fossil fuels.Bi2Te3-based alloys are the classical thermoelectric materials working near room temperature.Due to the intensive theoretical investigations and experimental demonstrations,significant progress has been achieved to enhance the thermoelectric performance of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric materials.In this review,we first explored the fundamentals of thermoelectric effect and derived the equations for thermoelectric properties.On this basis,we studied the effect of material parameters on thermoelectric properties.Then,we analyzed the features of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric materials,including the lattice defects,anisotropic behavior and the strong bipolar conduction at relatively high temperature.Then we accordingly summarized the strategies for enhancing the thermoelectric performance,including point defect engineering,texture alignment,and band gap enlargement.Moreover,we highlighted the progress in decreasing thermal conductivity using nanostructures fabricated by solution grown method,ball milling,and melt spinning.Lastly,we employed modeling analysis to uncover the principles of anisotropy behavior and the achieved enhancement in Bi2Te3,which will enlighten the enhancement of thermoelectric performance in broader materials

Effects of Thickness and Temperature on Thermoelectric Properties of Bi2Te3-Based Thin Films

Bi_2Te_3 thin films and GeTe/B_2Te_3 superlattices of different thicknesses are prepared on the silicon dioxide substrates by magnetron sputtering technique and thermally annealed at 573 K for 30 min. Thermoelectric（TE）measurements indicate that optimal thickness and thickness ratio improve the TE performance of Bi_2Te_3 thin films and GeTe/B_2Te_3 superlattices, respectively. High TE performances with figure-of-merit（ZT） values as high as 1.32 and 1.56 are achieved at 443 K for 30 nm and 50 nm Bi_2Te_3 thin films, respectively. These ZT values are higher than those of p-type Bi_2Te_3 alloys as reported. Relatively high ZT of the GeTe/B_2Te_3 superlattices at 300-380 K were 0.62-0.76. The achieved high ZT value may be attributed to the unique nano-and microstructures of the films,which increase phonon scattering and reduce thermal conductivity. The results indicate that Bi_2Te_3-based thin films can serve as high-performance materials for applications in TE devices.

Thermoelectric Transport by Surface States in Bi2Se3-Based Topological Insulator Thin Films

We develop a tractable theoretical model to investigate the thermoelectric （TE） transport properties of surface states in topological insulator thin films （TITFs） of Bi2Sea at room temperature. The hybridization between top and bottom surface states in the TITF plays a significant role. With the increasing hybridization-induced surface gap, the electrical conductivity and electron thermal conductivity decrease while the Seebeck coefficient increases. This is due to the metal-semiconductor transition induced by the surface-state hybridization. Based on these TE transport coefficients, the TE figure-of-merit ZT is evaluated. It is shown that ZT can be greatly improved by the surface-state hybridization. Our theoretical results are pertinent to the exploration of the TE transport properties of surface states in TITFs and to the potential application of Bi2Sea-based TITFs as high-performance TE materials and devices.

Distinct Superconducting Gap on Two Bilayer-Split Fermi Surface Sheets in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_(8+δ) Superconductor

High resolution laser-based angle-resolved photoemission measurements are carried out on an overdoped superconductor Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_(8+)with a_(c )of 75 K.Two Fermi surface sheets caused by bilayer splitting are clearly identified with rather different doping levels:the bonding sheet corresponds to a doping level of 0.14,which is slightly underdoped while the antibonding sheet has a doping of 0.27 that is heavily overdoped,giving an overall doping level of 0.20 for the sample.Different superconducting gap sizes on the two Fermi surface sheets are revealed.The superconducting gap on the antibonding Fermi surface sheet follows a standard d-wave form while it deviates from the standard d-wave form for the bonding Fermi surface sheet.The maximum gap difference between the two Fermi surface sheets near the antinodal region is～2 meV.These observations provide important information for studying the relationship between the Fermi surface topology and superconductivity,and the layer-dependent superconductivity in high temperature cuprate superconductors.

Optimization of intergrain connection in high-temperature superconductor Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_x

A modified spark plasma sintering（SPS） technique was developed for the fabrication of Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox（Bi-2212）superconducting bulks with better intergrain connections. The influences of the modified SPS process on the microstructures, intergrain connections, and related superconducting properties were systematically analyzed. The modified SPS process can not only increase the final density of the bulk samples but also enhance the texture structures. Clean grain boundaries were obtained instead of the intergrain amorphous layers. Therefore the intergranular properties were obviously improved. Due to the better intergrain connections and the stronger flux pinning properties, the critical current densities of the Bi-2212 bulks obtained via the modified SPS process were greatly increased. The obtained improvements imply the possibility for the modified SPS technique to be used for enhancing the superconducting properties of the Bi-2212 tapes.

Electronic Structure,Irreversibility Line and Magnetoresistance of Cu0.3Bi2Se3 Superconductor

Cux Bi2Se3 is a superconductor that is a potential candidate for topological superconductors. We report our laser- based angle-resolved photoemission measurement on the electronic structure of the CuxBi2Se3 superconductor, and a detailed magneto-resistance measurement in both normal and superconducting states. We find that the topological surface state of the pristine Bi2Se3 topological insulator remains robust after the Cu-intercalation, while the Dirae cone location moves downward due to electron doping. Detailed measurements on the magnetic field-dependence of the resistance in the superconducting state establishes an irreversibility line and gives a value of the upper critical field at zero temperature of ～4000 Oe for the Cu0.3Bi2Se3 superconductor with a middle point Tc of 1.g K. The relation between the upper critical field He2 and temperature T is different from the usual scaling relation found in cuprates and in other kinds of superconductors. Small positive magneto-resistance is observed in Cuo.3Bi2Se3 superconductors up to room temperature. These observations provide useful information for further study of this possible candidate for topological superconductors.

输运溶剂浮区法生长Bi_(2+x)Sr_(2-x)Ca_(n-1)Cu_nO_(2n+4+d)晶体

The growth of crystals of the high T c oxide superconductors has been hampe red by the complexities of the materials and their phase diagrams.The most common crys tal growth technique adopted for these oxides is the “flux”method,where the st arting materials are solved in a melt,which is usually formed by excess CuO and BaO or a KCl/NaCl mixture.The crystals are produced by slow cooling of the heate d solvent.This method,however,suffers from several disadvantages: (1) the crystals are contaminated with the crucible material, (2) the crystals are difficult to remove from the crucible, (3) the crystals contain flux inclusions.

Tunneling spectra of underdoped Bi_2Sr_2Ca_(1-x)Y_xCu_2O_(8+δ) intrinsic Josephson junctions

Mesa-structured submicron intrinsic Josephson junctions are successfully fabricated and well characterized on underdoped Bi2Sr2Ca1-xYxCu2O8＋δ single crystals with a Tc of 80 K. Tunneling spectra at the temperatures ranging from 4.2 K to 295 K are measured. A pulse technique is used to reduce sample heating for the measurement near pseudogap opening temperature T^＊ - 280 K. Our experimental results show that the superconducting gap, the peakdip separation, and the pseudogap opening temperature are all increased as compared with those from near optimally doped samples, which requires further theoretical analysis in the future.

EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT ON POSITRON ANNIHILATION OF GLASSY Bi_(1.6)Pb_(0.4)Sr_(1.9)Ca_2Cu_(3.1)O_y

Effects of isochronal annealing on the positron annihilation of glassy Bi_(1.6) Pb_(0.4) Sr_(1.9)Ca_2 Cu_(3.1)O_y(BPSCCO)have been reported.It is shown that the crystallization influences obviously the positron annihilation characteristics of BPSCCO.A maximum is found in the region of crystallization temperature in curves of mean lifetime and peak/wing ratio, one of Doppler Iineshape parameter,with annealing temperature;the bulk lifetime of positron annihilation in the glassy state is longer than that in the crystalline one.Positron annihilation spectroscopy could be used for studying structure of glassy BPSCCO and its change with heat treatment.

Effect of Bi_2O_3 Additive on the Microstructure and Dielectric Properties of BaTiO_3-Based Ceramics Sintered at Lower Temperature

High performance X8R dielectric ceramics were prepared by dopingBi2O3 to BaTiO3-based ceramics.The effect of small amounts（≤1.2 mol%） ofBi2O3 additive on the microstructure and dielectric properties of BaTiO3-based ceramics have been investigated.The Bi2O3 ,acting as a sintering additive,can effectively lower the sintering temperature of BaTiO3-based ceramics from 1300 to 1130 °C.The bulk density of BaTiO3-based ceramics increased and reached the maximum value with increasingBi2O3 content.The dielectric constant increased with increasingBi2O3 until it reached the maximum value with 0.8 mol%Bi2O3 additive,and the dielectric loss decreased with increasingBi2O3 content.Optimal dielectric properties of ε=2470,tanδ=0.011 and △ε/ε 25 ≤±9%（-55-150 °C） were obtained for the BaTiO3-based ceramics doped with 0.8 mol%Bi2O3 sintered at 1130 °C for 6 h.

Dual-wavelength Bi2Se3-based passively Q-switching Nd3+-doped glass all-fiber laser

We demonstrate a dual-wavelength passively Q-switched Nd^（3＋）-doped glass fiber laser using a few-layer topological insulator Bi2Se3 as a saturable absorber（SA） for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. The laser resonator is a simple and compact linear cavity using two fiber end-facet mirrors. The SA is fabricated by Bi2Se3/polyvinyl alcohol composite film. By inserting the SA into the laser cavity, a stable Q-switching operation is achieved with the shortest pulse width and maximum pulse repetition rate of 601 ns and 205.2 kHz,respectively. The maximum average output power and maximum pulse energy obtained are about 6.6 mW and 38.8 nJ, respectively.

Pairing symmetry in layered BiS2 compounds driven by electron-electron correlation

We investigate the pairing symmetry of layered BiS2 compomlds by assuming that electron-electron correlation is still important so that the pairing is rather short range. We lind that the extended .s-wave pairing symmetry always wins over d-wave when the pairing is confined between two short range sites up to next nearest neighbors. The pairing strength is peaked around the doping level ：r = 0.5. which is consistent with experimental observation. The extended s-wave pairing symmetry is very robust against spin orbital coupling because it is mainly determined by the structure of Fermi surfaces, Moreover. the extended s-wave pafiring can be distinguished from conventional swave pairing by measuring and comparing superconducting gaps of different Fermi surfaces.

Superconductivity, electronic phase diagram, and pressure effect in Sr_(1-x)Pr_xFBiS_2

Based on a combination of X-ray diffraction, electrical transports, magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, and pressure-effect measurements, we report the results of experiments on a series of BiS_2-based Sr_(1-x)Pr_xFBiS_2 superconductors with the maximum Tcof 2.7 K for x=0.5 and at ambient pressure. Superconductivity appears only for 0.4≤x≤0.7 whereas the normal-state resistivity shows the semiconducting-like behaviors. The magnetic susceptibility χ(T) displays the low superconducting shielding volume fractions and C(T) shows no distinguishable anomaly near Tc, which suggests a filamentary superconductivity in the Pr-doped polycrystalline samples. By varying doping concentrations, an electronic phase diagram is established. Upon applying pressure on the optimally doped Sr_(0.5)Pr_(0.5)FBiS_2 system, Tcis abruptly enhanced, reaches 8.5 K at the critical pressure of P_c=1.5 GPa, and increases slightly to 9.7 K at 2.5 GPa. Accompanied by the enhancement of superconductivity from the low-to the high-Tc phases, the normal state undergoes a semiconductor-to-metal transition when under pressure. This scenario may be linked to enhanced overlap of the Bi-6 p and S-p orbitals, which contributes to the enhanced superconductivity above Pc. The pressuretemperature phase diagram for Sr_(0.5)Pr_(0.5)FBiS_2 is also presented.

Strong coupling superconductivity and prominent superconducting fluctuations in the new superconductor Bi_4O_4S_3

Electric transport and scanning tunneling spectrum(STS)have been investigated on polycrystalline samples of the new superconductor Bi4O4S3.A weak insulating behavior in the resistive curve has been induced in the normal state when the superconductivity is suppressed by applying a magnetic field.Interestingly,a kink appears on the temperature dependence of resistivity near 4 K at all high magnetic fields above 1 T when the bulk superconductivity is completely suppressed.This kink associated with the upper critical field as well as the wide range of excess conductance at low fields and high temperatures is explained as the possible evidence of strong superconducting fluctuation.From the tunneling spectra,a superconducting gap of about 3 meV is frequently observed yielding a ratio of 2Δ/kB TC^16.6.This value is much larger than the one predicted by the BCS theory in the weak coupling regime(2Δ/kB TC^3.53),which suggests the strong coupling superconductivity in the present system.Furthermore,the gapped feature persists on the spectra until 14 K in the STS measurement,which suggests a prominent fluctuation region of superconductivity.Such a superconducting fluctuation can survive at very high magnetic fields,which are far beyond the critical fields for bulk superconductivity as inferred both from electric transport and tunneling measurements.

THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE, ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE AND SUPERCONDUCTIVITY OF Bi_2Sr_2Ca_(1-x)Y_xCu_2O_(8+y)

The effect of Y substitution for Ca on the crystal structure and electronic states of Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_(8+y) was studied. It is found that the modulation period of the incommensurate superlattice along b axis decreases from 4.7b to about 4.0b gradually, which implies the change of the extra oxygen atoms residing within double Bi-O layers. Two kinds of modulation structures with periods of 4b and 8b exist in the same compound as Ca is completely substituted by Y. XPS was employed to study the change in the electronic structure. The results suggest that the variation of superconductivity is not caused by the slight change in crystal structure, but rather by the hole filling in O2p orbitals in CuO_2 layers. For this substituted system, it is still the case where one hole in Cu3d orbital (3d^9) is corresponding to the strong correlation antiferromaguetic insulator, and an extra hole in O2p orbital in CuO_2 layer (3d^9L) to the superconductor.