Miniaturized time-of-flight neutron spin flipper using a high-TC superconductor

A miniaturized neutron spin flipper based on a high-TC superconductor film,developed at the China Spallation Neutron Source(CSNS),is presented.A neutron spin flipper is an essential component for performing polarized neutron experiments and,as such,constitutes a high priority for developing CSNS’s polarized neutron capability.To provide the beamlines with a universal neutron spin flipper operating over a wide wavelength band,the neutron spin flipper utilizes non-adiabatic spin flipping during transit through opposite magnetic fields that are mutually shielded by the superconductor Meissner effect.A compact vacuum heat shield and a low-power consumption sterling refrigerator maintained the superconducting condition while reducing the size and power input of the flipper.The prototype device was tested at the CSNS BL-20,which demonstrated a flipping efficiency of 99%at 4 A°.

The Correlation of Miller Indices with the Conductivity Mechanism of Cu-Based High-Tc Superconductor

The high temperature superconductor of CuBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ(Cu-1223) was synthesized experimentally by solid-state reaction. There were many pa-rameters affecting the preparation technique such as oxygen flow, sintering temperature, sintering time, and compacted pressure. The XRD-pattern exhibited a tetragonal phase for both Cu-1223, and Cu-1212. The resistivity measurement was considered the important experiment to show the predominant phase of superconductor if it was a high phase or low phase. The critical temperature (Tc) was about (128 K) for the high phase of Cu-1223, whereas the low phase of (Cu-1212) appeared at (Tc = 64 K). The correlation between the Miller indices and resistivity measurements was a good tool to predicate the expected mechanism of conductivity within the unit cell. It was clear that the arrangement of these planes was aligned in the a-c direction. That should make the motion of the charge to be simpler by a stepping plane toward c-axis.

X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY STUDY OF THE SINGLE PHASE HIGH-Tc SUPERCONDUCTOR YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(9-δ)

X-ray Photcelectron Spectroscopy(XPS)was employed to study the single phase high-Tc superconductor YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(9-δ).Comparison.Of the observed valence band spectrum with the theoretical spectrum of Mattheiss is given.The core level spectrum of Ba 3d5/2 was examined.The results of Y_(2)Cu_(2)O_(5)and Y_(2)BaCuO_(5)are also reported.

DOUBLE PEAK STRUCTURE OF O_(18) IN PHOTOEMISSION SPECTRA OF Bi-Sr-Ca-O HIGH-Tc SUPERCONDUCTORS

The double peak structure of O_(18) in photoemission spectra of Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O superconductor is studied by XPS,and compared with that of SrCO_(3).The result indicates that the double peak structure of O_(18) spectra is closely related with the Sr_(3d) and C_(1s) spectra,and arises primarily from the SrCO_(3)-like complex caused by the contamination of CO_(2) in air.

Evolution of Superconducting-Transition Temperature with Superfluid Density and Conductivity in Pressurized Cuprate Superconductors

What factors fundamentally determine the value of superconducting transition temperature Tc in high temperature superconductors has been the subject of intense debate.Following the establishment of an empirical law known as Homes'law,there is a growing consensus in the community that the Tc value of the cuprate superconductors is closely linked to the superfluid density(ρ_(s))of its ground state and the conductivity(σ)of its normal state.However,all the data supporting this empirical law(ρ_(s)=AσT_(c))have been obtained from the ambientpressure superconductors.In this study,we present the first high-pressure results about the connection of the quantities of ρ_(s) and σ with T_(c),through the studies on the Bi_(1.74)Pb_(0.38)Sr_(1.88)CuO_(6+δ)and Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ),in which the value of their high-pressure resistivity(ρ=1/σ)is achieved by adopting our newly established method,while the quantity ofρs is extracted using Homes'law.We highlight that the Tc values are strongly linked to the joint response factors of magnetic field and electric field,i.e.,ρ_(s) and σ,respectively,implying that the physics determining T_(c) is governed by the intrinsic electromagnetic fields of the system.

Strong Anisotropic Order Parameters at All-Nitride Ferromagnet/Superconductor Interfaces

Proximity effects between superconductors and ferromagnets(SC/FM)hold paramount importance in comprehending the spin competition transpiring at their interfaces.This competition arises from the interplay between Cooper pairs and ferromagnetic exchange interactions.The proximity effects between transition metal nitrides(TMNs)are scarcely investigated due to the formidable challenges of fabricating high-quality SC/FM interfaces.We fabricated heterostructures comprising SC titanium nitride(TiN)and FM iron nitride(Fe_(3)N)with precise chemical compositions and atomically well-defined interfaces.The magnetoresistance of Fe_(3)N/TiN heterostructures shows a distinct magnetic anisotropy and strongly depends on the external perturbations.Moreover,the superconducting transition temperatureT_(C) and critical field of TiN experience notable suppression when proximity to Fe_(3)N.We observe the intriguing competition of interfacial spin orientations near𝑇T_(C)(∼1.25 K).These findings not only add a new materials system for investigating the interplay between superconductor and ferromagnets,but also potentially provide a building block for future research endeavors and applications in the realms of superconducting spintronic devices.

Controversy Clouds Real Progress in Superconductor Research

In the 8 March 2023 issue of the journal Nature,a paper attracted global attention with the report of a new superconductor material exhibiting ground-breaking properties[1,2].A group led by Ranga P.Dias,assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Rochester(Rochester,NY,USA),described a hydride material that superconducted at around room temperature,albeit at pressures 10000 times greater than atmospheric pressure[3].

Design of high-temperature superconductors at moderate pressures by alloying AlH3 or GaH3

Since the discovery of hydride superconductors,a significant challenge has been to reduce the pressure required for their stabilization.In this context,we propose that alloying could be an effective strategy to achieve this.We focus on a series of alloyed hydrides with the AMH_(6)composition,which can be made via alloying A15 AH_(3)(A=Al or Ga)with M(M=a group IIIB or IVB metal),and study their behavior under pressure.Seven of them are predicted to maintain the A15-type structure,similar to AH_(3)under pressure,providing a platform for studying the effects of alloying on the stability and superconductivity of AH_(3).Among these,the A15-type phases of AlZrH_(6)and AlHfH_(6)are found to be thermodynamically stable in the pressure ranges of 40–150 and 30–181 GPa,respectively.Furthermore,they remain dynamically stable at even lower pressures,as low as 13 GPa for AlZrH_(6)and 6 GPa for AlHfH_(6).These pressures are significantly lower than that required for stabilizing A15 AlH3.Additionally,the introduction of Zr or Hf increases the electronic density of states at the Fermi level compared with AlH3.This enhancement leads to higher critical temperatures(Tc)of 75 and 76 K for AlZrH_(6)and AlHfH_(6)at 20 and 10 GPa,respectively.In the case of GaMH_(6)alloys,where M represents Sc,Ti,Zr,or Hf,these metals reinforce the stability of the A15-type structure and reduce the lowest thermodynamically stable pressure for GaH_(3) from 160 GPa to 116,95,80,and 85 GPa,respectively.Particularly noteworthy are the A15-type GaMH_(6)alloys,which remain dynamically stable at low pressures of 97,28,5,and 6 GPa,simultaneously exhibiting high Tc of 88,39,70,and 49 K at 100,35,10,and 10 GPa,respectively.Overall,these findings enrich the family of A15-type superconductors and provide insights for the future exploration of high-temperature hydride superconductors that can be stabilized at lower pressures.

Prediction of novel layered indium halide superconductors

We design two new layered indium halide compounds LaOInF_(2)and LaOInCl_(2)by means of first-principles calculations and evolutionary crystal structure prediction.We find both compounds crystallize in a tetragonal structure with P4/nmm space group and have indirect band gaps of 2.58 eV and 3.21 eV,respectively.By substituting O with F,both of them become metallic and superconducting at low temperature.The F-doping leads to strong electron-phonon coupling in the low-energy acoustic phonon modes which is mainly responsible for the induced superconductivity.The total electron-phonon coupling strength are 1.86 and 1.48,while the superconducting transition temperature(T_(c))are about 7.2 K and 6.5 K with 10%and 5%F doping for LaOInF_(2)and LaOInCl_(2),respectively.

Two-fold symmetry of the in-plane resistance in kagome superconductor Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5) with enhanced superconductivity

The kagome superconductor CsV_(3)Sb_(5) has attracted widespread attention due to its rich correlated electron states including superconductivity, charge density wave(CDW), nematicity, and pair density wave. Notably, the modulation of the intertwined electronic orders by the chemical doping is significant to illuminate the cooperation/competition between multiple phases in kagome superconductors. In this study, we have synthesized a series of tantalum-substituted Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5) by a modified self-flux method. Electrical transport measurements reveal that CDW is suppressed gradually and becomes undetectable as the doping content of x is over 0.07. Concurrently, the superconductivity is enhanced monotonically from T_(c) ~ 2.8 K at x = 0 to 5.2 K at x = 0.12. Intriguingly, in the absence of CDW, Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5)(x = 0.12) crystals exhibit a pronounced two-fold symmetry of the in-plane angular-dependent magnetoresistance(AMR) in the superconducting state, indicating the anisotropic superconducting properties in the Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5). Our findings demonstrate that Cs(V_(1-x)Ta_(x))_(3)Sb_(5) with the non-trivial band topology is an excellent platform to explore the superconductivity mechanism and intertwined electronic orders in quantum materials.

Topological superconductors with spin-triplet pairings and Majorana Fermi arcs

We construct a three-dimensional topological superconductor Bogoliubov–de Gennes(BdG)Hamiltonian with the normal state being a three-dimensional topological insulator.By introducing inter-orbital spin-triplet pairings term△3,there are topological Majorana nodes in the bulk and they are connected by Majorana Fermi arcs on the surface,similar to the case of Weyl semimetal.Furthermore,by adding an inversion-breaking term to the normal state,momentum-independent pairing terms with different parities can coexist in the Bd G Hamiltonian,which creates more Majorana modes similar to Andreev bound states and a richer phase diagram.

Effect of the mixing of s-wave and chiral p-wave pairings on electrical shot noise properties of normal metal/superconductor tunnel junctions

We study theoretically the electrical shot noise properties of tunnel junctions between a normal metal and a superconductor with the mixture of singlet s-wave and chiral triplet p-wave pairing due to broken inversion symmetry. We investigate how the shot noise properties vary as the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential is changed. It is demonstrated that some characteristics of the electrical shot noise properties of such tunnel junctions may depend sensitively on the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential, and some significant changes may occur in the electrical shot noise properties when the relative amplitude between the two parity components is varied from the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime to the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime. In the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime, the ratio of noise power to electric current is close to 2e both in the in-gap and in the out-gap region. In the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime, the value of this ratio is close to 4e in the inner gap region but may reduce to about 2e in the outer gap region as the relative amplitude of the chiral triplet pairing component is increased. The variations of the differential shot noise with the bias voltage also exhibit some significantly different features in different regimes. Such different features can serve as useful diagnostic tools for the determination of the relative magnitude of the two parity components in the pairing potential.

High Harmonic Spectroscopy Retrieves Electronic Structure of High-pressure Superconductors

High pressure has revealed surprising physics and creates novel states in condensed matter.Exciting examples include near-roomtemperature superconductivity(T_(c)>200 K)in highlypressured hydrides such as H_(3)S and LaH_(10).

Electronic Structure Investigation of 12442 Iron-Based Superconductors Based on Block-Layer Model

Superconducting transition temperature(Tc),as a crucial parameter,exploring its relationship with various macroscopic and microscopic factors helps to understand the mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity from multiple perspectives,aiding in a multidimensional comprehension of high-temperature superconductivity mechanisms.Drawing inspiration from the block-layer structure models of cuprate superconductors,we computationally investigated the interlayer interaction energies in the 12442-type iron-based superconducting materials AkCa_(2)Fe_(4)As_(4)F_(2)(Ak=K,Rb,Cs)systems based on the block-layer model and explored their relationship with Tc.We observed that an increase in interlayer combinative energy leads to a decrease in Tc,while conversely,a decrease in interlayer combination energy results in an increase in Tc.Further,we found that the contribution of the Fe 3d band structure,especially the 3dz2 orbital,to charge transfer is significant.

SOFTENING OF VIBRATIONAL MODES OF THE HIGH-Tc PHASE OF Bi-SYSTEM SUPERCONDUCTOR

The temperature dependent Fe Mossbauer and X-ray diffraction measurement on Bi-system 2:2:2:3 phase have been carried out from 77 K to 300 K. It was found that there are two anomalous behaviors of lattice vibrational modes near 125 K and 220 K. This phenomena of lattice softening above Tc is taken as a precursor effect of superconductivity.

PAT study on stress-field pinning in high-Tc superconductors

The simultaneous measurements of Doppler-broadened radiation spectra and lifetime spectra were performed by positron annihilation analysis on Eu-doped Y-123 superconductors.When the doping concentration reaches 30 % and 70 %,the density of defeat and its stress-field reach the maximum for (Y1-xEux) Ba2Cu3O7-y The pinning mechanism of such superconductors is discussed,and the results support the stress pinning mechanism.

Customizing topological phases in the twisted bilayer superconductors with even-parity pairings

We investigate the topological properties of twisted bilayer superconductors with different even-parity pairings in each layer.In the presence of spin-orbit coupling,the Hamiltonian is mapped into an effective odd-parity superconductor.Based on this,we deduce the topological properties by examining the relative configuration between Fermi surface and Dirac pairing node.We show that mixed Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling and anisotropic hopping terms,which break the C_(4)symmetry of the Fermi surface,can induce first-order topological superconductors with non-zero bulk Chern number.This provides a versatile way to control the topological phases of bilayer superconductors by adjusting the twisted angle and chemical potential.We demonstrate our results using a typical twisted angle of 53.13°,at which the translation symmetry is restored and the Chern number and edge state are calculated using the Moir′e momentum.

Gate-Tunable Negative Differential Conductance in Hybrid Semiconductor–Superconductor Devices

Negative differential conductance(NDC)serves as a crucial characteristic that reveals various underlying physics and transport process in hybrid superconducting devices.We report the observation of gate-tunable NDC outside the superconducting energy gap on two types of hybrid semiconductor–superconductor devices,i.e.,normal metal–superconducting nanowire–normal metal and normal metal–superconducting nanowire–superconductor devices.Specifically,we study the dependence of the NDCs on back-gate voltage and magnetic field.When the back-gate voltage decreases,these NDCs weaken and evolve into positive differential conductance dips;and meanwhile they move away from the superconducting gap towards high bias voltage,and disappear eventually.In addition,with the increase of magnetic field,the NDCs/dips follow the evolution of the superconducting gap,and disappear when the gap closes.We interpret these observations and reach a good agreement by combining the Blonder–Tinkham–Klapwijk(BTK)model and the critical supercurrent effect in the nanowire,which we call the BTK-supercurrent model.Our results provide an in-depth understanding of the tunneling transport in hybrid semiconductor–superconductor devices.

Abnormal magnetoresistance effect in the Nb/Si superconductor–semiconductor heterojunction

Ultrathin superconducting Nb films of about 8 nm thick have been deposited on heavily doped Si substrates through DC magnetron sputtering and then the high-quality Nb/Si superconductor–semiconductor heterojunctions have been fabricated by electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching.An abnormal magnetoresistance effect,which manifests itself as a zero field resistance peak under a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the interface,has been distinctly observed when the Nb film is in the superconductiing state.By considering the heterojunction interface being equivalent to the structure of superconductor–barrier layer–superconductor configuration,we could generally understand this unusual effect based on the Andreev reflection mechanism.Our results can be of help for the future development on compatibility and scalability of the silicon-based nanoscale superconducting devices for integrated circuits and superconducting quantum electronics.

Anisotropy of Electronic Spin Texture in the High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductor Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ)

Seeking new order parameters and the related broken symmetry and studying their relationship with phase transition have been important topics in condensed matter physics.Here,by using spin-and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy,we confirm the helical spin texture caused by spin-layer locking in the nodal region in the cuprate superconductor Bi_(2)Sr_(2)CaCu_(2)O_(8+δ)and discover the anisotropy of spin polarizations at nodes alongΓ–X andΓ–Y directions.The breaking of C_(4)rotational symmetry in electronic spin texture may give deeper insights into understanding the ground state of cuprate superconductors.