Discovery of Majorana Bound State in Fe-based Superconductor

In 1937, Italian theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana published a paper, in which he made a brilliant discovery by decomposing Dirac equation into the real and imaginary parts. That is the famous equation describing the motion of a Majorana fermion whose antiparticle is itself.

Achieving a superior Na storage performance of Fe-based Prussian blue cathode by coating perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride amine

Fe-based Prussian blue(Fe-PB)cathode material shows great application potential in sodium(Na)-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity,long cycle life,low cost,and simple preparation process.However,the crystalline water and vacancies of Fe-PB lattice,the low electrical conductivity,and the dissolution of metal ions lead to limited capacity and poor cycling stability.In this work,a perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride amine(PTCDA)coating layer is successfully fabricated on the surface of Fe-PB by a liquid-phase method.The aminated PTCDA(PTCA)coating not only increases the specific surface area and electronic conductivity but also effectively reduces the crystalline water and vacancies,which avoids the erosion of Fe-PB by electrolyte.Consequently,the PTCA layer reduces the charge transfer resistance,enhances the Na-ion diffusion coefficient,and improves the structure stability.The PTCA-coated Fe-PB exhibits superior Na storage performance with a first discharge capacity of 145.2 mAh g^(−1) at 100 mA g^(−1).Long cycling tests exhibit minimal capacity decay of 0.027%per cycle over 1000 cycles at 1 A g^(−1).Therefore,this PTCA coating strategy has shown promising competence in enhancing the electrochemical performance of Fe-PB,which can potentially serve as a universal electrode coating strategy for Na-ion batteries.

Clean production of Fe-based amorphous soft magnetic alloys via smelting reduction of high-phosphorus iron ore and apatite

Separated preparation of prealloys and amorphous alloys results in severe solidification-remelting and beneficial element removal-readdition contradictions,which markedly increase energy consumption and emissions.This study offered a novel strategy for the direct production of FePC amorphous soft magnetic alloys via smelting reduction of high-phosphorus iron ore(HPIO)and apatite.First,the thermodynamic conditions and equilibrium states of the carbothermal reduction reactions in HPIO were calculated,and the element content in reduced alloys was theoretically determined.The phase and structural evolutions,as well as element migration and enrichment behaviors during the smelting reduction of HPIO and Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2),were then experimentally verified.The addition of Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)in HPIO contributes to the enrichment of the P element in reduced alloys and the subsequent development of Fe_(3)P and Fe_(2)P phases.The content of P and C elements in the range of 1.52 wt% -14.63 wt% and 0.62 wt% -2.47 wt%,respectively,can be well tailored by adding 0-50 g Ca_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)and controlling the C/O mole ratio of 0.8-1.1,which is highly consistent with the calculated results.These FePC alloys were then successfully formed into amorphous ribbons and rods.The energy consumption of the proposed strategy was estimated to be 2.00×10^(8) kJ/t,which is reduced by 30% when compared with the conventional production process.These results are critical for the comprehensive utilization of mineral resources and pave the way for the clean production of Fe-based amorphous soft magnetic alloys.

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.

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.

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.

The Superconductivity in Fe-Based Family of Superconductors and Its Electronic Structure Analysis in Presence of Dopants Rh and Pd

The discovered in 2008 Fe-based superconductors (SC) are a paramagnetic semimetal at ambient temperature and in some cases they become superconductor upon doping. In spite of so many years since its discovery it is still not known the mechanism that leads to superconductivity. The electronic structure study is used for determining key features of the SC mechanism in these materials. The calculations were performed using the modern suite of programs MOLPRO 2021. We performed quantum calculations of a cluster embedded in a background charge distribution that represents the infinite crystal. The Natural Population Analysis was used for determining the charge and spin distribution in the studied materials. As follows from our results, the possible mechanism for superconductivity corresponds to the RVB theory proposed by Anderson for high Tc superconductivity in cuprates.

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).

Surface hardening of Fe-based alloy powders by Nd:YAG laser cladding followed by electrospark deposition with WC-Co cemented carbide

This paper presents the results of a study concerned with the surface hardening of Fe-based alloys and WC-8Co cemented carbide by inte- grating laser cladding and the electrospark deposition processes. Specimens of low carbon steel were processed firstly by laser cladding with Fe-based alloy powders and then by electrospark deposition with WC-SCo cemented carbide. It is shown that, for these two treatments, the electrospark coating possesses finer microstructure than the laser coating, and the thickness and surface hardness of the electrospark coating can be substantially increased.

Formation and corrosion behavior of Fe-based amorphous metallic coatings prepared by detonation gun spraying

Amorphous metallic coatings with a composition of Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2 were prepared by detonation gun spraying process. Microstructural studies show that the coatings present a densely layered structure typical of thermally sprayed deposits with the porosity below 2%. Both crystallization and oxidation occurred obviously during spraying process, so that the amorphous fraction of the coatings decreased to 54% compared with fully amorphous alloy ribbons of the same component. Corrosion behavior of the amorphous coatings was investigated by electrochemical measurement. The results show that the coatings exhibit extremely wide passive region and low passive current density in 3.5% NaCl (mass fraction) and 1 mol/L HCl solutions, which illustrates excellent ability to resist localized corrosion.

Microstructure of Fe-Based Alloy Hardfacing Coating Reinforced by TiC-VC Particles

Mierostrueture of the Fe-based alloy hardfaeing coating reinforced by TiC-VC particles was investigated by means of SEM, TEM, XRD and EPMA. The thermodynamics and effect of elements on the carbides were discussed. The result shows that TiC-VC carbides can be formed during arc welding. Carbides with particle size of 2 ～4μm are uniformly dispersed in the matrix. Evidently the covering components and their amount affect the microstrueture and hardness of the coatings. An excellent microstructure and hardness of hardfacing coating were obtained, while the amount of graphite, FeTi and FeV was controlled within the range of 8%- 10%, 15%- 18% and 8%- 12%, respectively.

Wear and corrosion resistance of laser-cladded Fe-based composite coatings on AISI 4130 steel

The wear and corrosion resistance of Fe_（72.2）Cr_（16.8）Ni_（7.3）Mo_（1.6）Mn_（0.7）C_（0.2）Si_（1.2） and Fe_（77.3）Cr_（15.8）Ni_（3.9）Mo_（1.1）Mn_（0.5）C_（0.2）Si_（1.2） coatings laser-cladded on AISI 4130 steel were studied.The coatings possess excellent wear and corrosion resistance despite the absence of expensive yttrium,tungsten,and cobalt and very little molybdenum.The microstructure mainly consists of dendrites and eutectic phases,such as duplex（γ＋α）-Fe and the Fe–Cr（Ni）solid solution,confirmed via energy dispersive spectrometry and X-ray diffraction.The cladded Fe-based coatings have lower coefficients of friction,and narrower and shallower wear tracks than the substrate without the cladding,and the main wear mechanism is mild abrasive wear.Electrochemical test results suggest that the soft Fe_（72.2）Cr_（16.8）Ni_（7.3）Mo_（1.6）Mn_（0.7）C_（0.2）Si_（1.2） coating with high Cr and Ni concentrations has high passivation resistance,low corrosion current,and positive corrosion potential,providing a better protective barrier layer to the AISI 4130 steel against corrosion.

Effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of C-Cr-W-Mo-V-RE Fe-based hardfacing layer

After different heat treatment processes, the metal compound, the microstructure and the hardness of the C-Cr-W- Mo-V-RE Fe-based hardfacing layers are investigated by means of metallographic microscope, X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）, energy dispersive spectrum（ EDS ）, transmission electron microscope（TEM） and hardness tester. The results show that the hardfacing layers have higher tempering stability and secondary hardening property. After quenching at 820 ℃ ,the hardness value（ HRC37 ） and the microstructure of the layers are similar to that normalized at 820 - 1 000 ℃. The tempering stability and the hardness increases with increasing quench temperature, which is attributed to the amount of the alloy element in the matrix. These results are very helpful for improving the mechanical properties of the hardfacing layers.

FACILE HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS AND GROWTH KINETICS OF Fe-BASED MAGNETIC NANOPARTICLES

The facile hydrothennal method was used to synthesize Fe3O4 nanoparticles with an average diameter of 1 1nm. The pure body-centered cubic （bcc）-Fe nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of Fe3O4 nanoparticles powder in H2 atmosphere. The structure, morphology and magnetic＇properties of the products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, thermogravimetric analysis-differential scanning calorimetry （TGA-DSC） and vibrating sample magnetometer （VSM）. The results showed that the as-prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles had a relatively homogeneous size. The particle diameters became bigger with the increase of reaction time. The growth kinetics of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles was also briefly discussed. The products exhibited superparamagnetic properties at room temperature and the specific saturation magnetization was dependent on the particle sizes.

Microstructure and Properties of Fe-Based Coating on Column Surface Formed by High Frequency Induction Cladding

The Fe-based coating was produced on the surface of the column substrate with a Al2O3 cylindrical sleeve by high frequency induction cladding, microstructure of the coating was investigated with scanning electron microscope (SEM), the crystal structure was characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), the microhardness and wear resisitance of the coating were evaluated. The results show that a metallurgical bond between coating and substrate was obtained during the rapid solidification, the phases of the coating were composed of austenite and the eutectic of γ-Fe + (Cr, Fe)7(C, B)3. Compared with the substrate, the microhardness and wear resistance of the coating improved apparently, solid-solution strengthening and second-phase particle hardening led to these results.

FORMATION OF GRADIENT COATING OF Fe-BASED ALLOY WITH RARE EARTHS BY PLASMA SURFACING

A gradient coating of Fe-based alloy was manufactured with rare earths (RE) by plasma surfacing on Q235 steel substrate. The coatings were studied by using X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscope(SEM), differential thermal analyzer(DTA), and electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). The results show that the phases of the two kinds of coatings(with and without RE) both include α-Fe, Fe7C3, Fe3C, Cr2B, Fe2B and FeB. The microstructure of F314 coating is mainly hypereutectic, the pro-phases Cr7C3 and Cr2B are loose, crassi, spiculate and contain microcracks. The brittleness of the coating is high, and the average hardness is 787 HV. When 0.8wt% RE was added into the F314 alloy, the microstructure varied from hypoeutectic to hypereutectic continuously, The hardness appears as gradient distribution with the highest value of 773 HV, meanwhile, the brittleness decreases significantly. The formation of gradient structure depends on the fallowing factors: (i) the conversion of RE. The addition of RE lowers the elements point and Fe-C eutectic temperature, thus the base metal melting acutely. (ii) the heating of plasma arc. Graded temperature results in directional solidification, thus the gradient structure forms easily. The main reasons for the hardness decrease with RE addition in the alloy are the ratio of hard phase lowering and the hardness of the hard phase decreasing.

Wear Properties of Plasma Transferred Arc Fe-based Coatings Reinforced by Spherical WC Particles

Fe-based coatings reinforced by spherical WC particles were produced on the 304 stainless steel by plasma transferred arc(PTA) to enhance the surface wear properties. Three different Fe/WC composite powder mixtures containing 0 wt%, 30 wt%, and 60 wt% of WC were investigated. The microstructure and phase composition of the Fe/WC composite PTA coatings were evaluated systemically by using scanning electron microscope(SEM) and X-ray diffraction(XRD). The wear properties of the three fabricated PTA coatings were investigated on a BRUKER UMT TriboLab. The morphologies of the worn tracks and wear debris were characterized by using SEM and 3 D non-contract profiler. The experimental results reveal that the microhardness on the cross-section and the wear resistance of the fabricated coatings increase dramatically with the increasing adding WC contents. The coating containing 60 wt% of WC possesses excellent wear resistance validated by the lower coefficients of friction(COF), narrower and shallower wear tracks and smaller wear rate. In the pure Fe-based coating, the main wear mechanism is the combination of adhesion and oxidative wear. Adhesive and two-body abrasive wear are predominated in the coating containing 30 wt% of WC, whereas threebody abrasion wear mechanism is predominated in the coating containing 60 wt% of WC.

Distinctive electrochemical performance of novel Fe-based Li-rich cathode material prepared by molten salt method for lithium-ion batteries

For constructing next-generation lithium-ion batteries with advanced performances,pursuit of highcapacity Li-rich cathodes has caused considerable attention.So far,the low discharge specific capacity and serious capacity fading are strangling the development of Fe-based Li-rich materials.To activate the extra-capacity of Fe-based Li-rich cathode materials,a facile molten salt method is exploited using an alkaline mixture of LiOH–LiNO3–Li2O2 in this work.The prepared Li1.09(Fe0.2Ni0.3Mn0.5)0.91O2 material yields high discharge specific capacity and good cycling stability.The discharge specific capacity shows an upward tendency at 0.1 C.After 60 cycles,a high reversible specific capacity of ~250 m Ah g-1is delivered.The redox of Fe3+/Fe4+and Mn3+/Mn4+are gradually activated during cycling.Notably,the redox reaction of Fe2+/Fe3+can be observed reversibly below 2 V,which is quite different from the material prepared by a traditional co-precipitation method.The stable morphology of fine nanoparticles(100–300 nm)is considered benefiting for the distinctive electrochemical performances of Li1.09(Fe0.2Ni0.3Mn0.5)0.91O2.This study demonstrates that molten salt method is an inexpensive and effective approach to activate the extra capacity of Fe-based Li-rich cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

Corrosion Behavior of Plasma Transferred Arc Fe-based Coating Reinforced by Spherical Tungsten Carbide in Hydrochloric Acid Solutions

Fe-based coatings reinforced by spherical tungsten carbide were deposited on 304 stainless steel using plasma transferred arc(PTA) technology.The composition and phase microstructure of the coatings were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),energy dispersive spectrometer(EDS) and X-ray diffraction(XRD).The corrosion behaviors of the coatings in 0.5 mol/L HCl solution were studied using polarization curve and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy(EIS) measurements.The experimental results shows that the tungsten carbide improves the corrosion resistance of the Fe-based alloy coating,but increase in the mass fraction of tungsten carbide leads to increasing amount of defects of holes and cracks,which results in an adverse effect on the corrosion resistance.The defects are mainly present on the tungsten carbide but also extend to the Fe-based matrix.The tungsten carbide,acting as a cathode,and binding material of Fe-based alloy,acting as an anode,create a galvanic corrosion cell.The binding material is preferentially corroded and causes the degradation of the coating.

Fe-based amorphous coating prepared using high-velocity oxygen fuel and its corrosion behavior in static lead-bismuth eutectic alloy

The Fe_(949.7)Cr_(18)Mn_(1.9)Mo_(7.4)W_(1.6)B_(15.2)C_(3.8)Si_(2) amorphous coating was deposited on T91 steel substrate by using the high-velocity oxygen fuel(HVOF)spray technique to enhance the corrosion resistance of T91 stainless steel in liquid lead-bismuth eutectic(LBE).The corrosion behavior of the T91 steel and coating exposed to oxygen-saturated LBE at 400℃ for 500 h was investigated.Results showed that the T91 substrate was severely corroded and covered by a homogeneously distributed dual-layer oxide on the interface contacted to LBE,consisting of an outer magnetite layer and an inner Fe-Cr spinel layer.Meanwhile,the amorphous coating with a high glass transition temperature(Tg=550℃)and crystallization temperature(T_(x)=600℃)exhibited dramatically enhanced thermal stability and corrosion resistance.No visible LBE penetration was observed,although small amounts of Fe_(3)O_(4),Cr_(2)O_(3),and PbO were found on the coating surface.In addition,the amorphicity and interface bonding of the coating layer remained unchanged after the LBE corrosion.The Fe-based amorphous coating can act as a stable barrier layer in liquid LBE and have great application potential for long-term service in LBE-cooled fast reactors.