Researchers Develop Layered Superconductors from High Entropy Alloys

Nov, 2020 - By WMR

Researchers developed layered superconductors from high entropy alloys.

This study was conducted by the researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University. They created new layered superconductors from bismuth sulfide (BiS2) and a high entropy rare earth alloy oxyfluoride, which contains five different rare earth (RE) elements at the same crystallographic site. The new developed material has superconducting properties over a wider range of lattice parameters when compared to materials without high-entropy-alloy states.

Superconductors have a range of interesting applications. Lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and samarium are the five different rare earth (RE) elements and these were combined to create a ‘high entropy alloy’ in the blocking layer. Owing to toughness, resistance to fatigue and ductility amongst many other notable physical properties, the high entropy alloys have attracted considerable attention in the recent years.

Good superconducting properties were exhibited by the new material, which had different proportions of REs (10-30%). Moreover, materials with the same period in their molecular structure exhibited a superconducting transition at higher temperatures when the blocking layer contained a high entropy alloy. Researchers believed that the high entropy alloy will be helpful in stabilizing the crystal structure of the superconducting layer.

The impact of the research is not limited to the new materials that are presented in the study. Furthermore, this study opens the way for a broad new strategy for engineering new, revolutionary superconducting materials.