Discovery of a Superconducting Cu-Bi Intermetallic Compound by High-Pressure Synthesis.
A new intermetallic compound, the first to be structurally identified in the Cu-Bi binary system, is reported. This compound is accessed by high-pressure reaction of the elements. Its detailed characterization, physical property measurements, and ab initio calculations are described. The commensurate crystal structure of Cu11Bi7is a unique variation of the NiAs structure type. Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity and heat capacity measurements reveal a bulk superconducting transition at Tc=1.36 K. Density functional theory calculations further demonstrate that Cu11Bi7can be stabilized (relative to decomposition into the elements) at high pressure and temperature. These results highlight the ability of high-pressure syntheses to allow for inroads into heretofore-undiscovered intermetallic systems for which no thermodynamically stable binaries are known.
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
Samantha M
SM
Clarke
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
James P S
JP
Walsh
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
Maximilian
M
Amsler
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
Christos D
CD
Malliakas
Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
Tony
T
Yu
Department of Physics, Universität Basel, Kingelbergstr. 82, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
Stefan
S
Goedecker
Center for Advanced Radiation Sources, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
Yanbin
Y
Wang
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
Chris
C
Wolverton
Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA. danna.freedman@northwestern.edu.
Danna E
DE
Freedman
bismuth; copper; high-pressure synthesis; intermetallics; superconductivity