Sc-Zr-Nb-Rh-Pd and Sc-Zr-Nb-Ta-Rh-Pd High-Entropy Alloy Superconductors on a CsCl-Type Lattice

Karoline Stolze, Jing Tao, Fabian O. Von Rohr, Tai Kong, Robert J. Cava

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

95 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have synthesized previously unreported high-entropy alloys (HEAs) in the pentanary (ScZrNb)1-x[RhPd]x and hexanary (ScZrNbTa)1-x[RhPd]x systems. The materials have CsCl-type structures and mixed site occupancies. Both HEAs are type-II superconductors with strongly varying critical temperatures (Tc's) depending on the valence electron count (VEC); the Tc's increase monotonically with decreasing VEC within each series, and do not follow the trends seen for either crystalline or amorphous transition metal superconductors. The (ScZrNb)0.65[RhPd]0.35 HEA with the highest Tc, -9.3 K, also exhibits the largest μ0Hc2(0) = 10.7 T. The pentanary and hexanary HEAs have higher superconducting transition temperatures than their simple binary intermetallic relatives with the CsCl-type structure and a surprisingly ductile mechanical behavior. The presence of niobium, even at the 20% level, has a positive impact on the Tc. Nevertheless, niobium-free (ScZr)0.50[RhPd]0.50, as mother-compound of both superconducting HEAs found here, is itself superconducting, proving that superconductivity is an intrinsic feature of the bulk material.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)906-914
Number of pages9
JournalChemistry of Materials
Volume30
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 13 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Materials Chemistry

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