A-15 type superconducting hydride $La_4H_{23}$: Nanograined structure with low strain, strong electron-phonon interaction, and moderate level of nonadiabaticity

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the superconducting properties of La4H23, revealing its nanograined structure, low strain, strong electron-phonon interaction, and moderate nonadiabaticity, suggesting it belongs to the unconventional superconductor class.

Contribution

The study provides a detailed analysis of La4H23's structural and electronic properties, highlighting its high electron-phonon coupling and placing it among unconventional superconductors.

Findings

Nanograined structure with 5.5-35 nm grain size.

High electron-phonon coupling constant (1.5 to 2.55).

Similar nonadiabaticity and T_c/T_F ratios to cuprates and pnictides.

Abstract

For seven decades by A-15 superconductors we meant metallic $A_3B$ alloys (where A is a transition metal, and B is groups IIIB and IVB element) discovered by Hardy and Hulm (Phys. Rev. 89, 884 (1953)). Nb3Ge exhibited the highest superconducting transition temperature, $T_c = 23 K$, among these alloys. One of these alloys, $Nb_3Sn$, is primary material in modern applied superconductivity. Recently Guo et al (arXiv:2307.13067) extended the family of superconductors where the metallic ions arranged in the beta tungsten (A-15) sublattice by observation of $T_{c,zero} = 81 K$ in $La_4H_{23}$ phase compressed at $P = 118 GPa$. Despite the $La_4H_{23}$ has much lower $T_c$ in comparison with near-room-temperature superconducting $LaH_{10}$ phase ($T_{c,zero} = 250 K$ at $P = 200 GPa$) discovered by Drozdov et al (Nature 569, 531 (2019)), the $La_4H_{23}$ holds the record high $T_c$ within A-15 family. Cross et al (Phys. Rev. B 109, L020503 (2024)) confirmed the high-temperature superconductivity in the compressed $La_4H_{23}$. In this paper, we analyzed available experimental data measured in $La_4H_{23}$ and found that this superconductor exhibits nanograined structure, 5.5 nm < D < 35 nm, low crystalline strain < 0.003, high electron-phonon coupling constant, 1.5 < $\lambda_{e-ph}$ < 2.55, and moderate level of the nonadiabaticity $\Theta_{D}/T_{F}$. We found that derived $\Theta_{D}/T_{F}$ and $T_c/T_F$ values for the $La_4H_{23}$ phase are similar to the ones in cuprates, pnictides, and near-room-temperature superconductors $H_3S$ and $LaH_{10}$, which implies that the $La_4H_{23}$ phase falls to unconventional superconductors band in the Uemura plot.