Large upper critical fields and strong coupling superconductivity in the medium-entropy alloy (Ti1/3Hf1/3Ta1/3)1-xNbx

TL;DR

This study reports on medium-entropy alloy superconductors with high upper critical fields and strong coupling, showing enhanced Tc with Nb doping and unusual superconducting properties that could advance understanding of physical mechanisms.

Contribution

It reveals the strong coupling superconductivity and large upper critical fields in (Ti0.33Hf0.33Ta0.33)1-xNbx MEAs, highlighting their potential for further research.

Findings

Superconductivity observed in (Ti0.33Hf0.33Ta0.33)1-xNbx MEAs.

Tc increases from 5.31 K to 9.11 K with Nb doping.

Large upper critical fields exceeding Pauli limit at low Nb content.

Abstract

Since the discovery of high-entropy superconductors in 2014, superconductivity has remained a focal point of interest in medium- and high-entropy alloys (MEAs-HEAs). Here, we report a series of (Ti0.33Hf0.33Ta0.33)1-xNbx MEA superconductors crystallized in the BCC structure, whose superconductivity was characterized by resistivity, magnetization, and specific heat measurements. The study found that the (Ti0.33Hf0.33Ta0.33)1-xNbx MEAs exhibit bulk superconductivity. With the doping of Nb, the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) increases from 5.31 K to 9.11 K, and the normalized Cel jumps at Tc, and the logarithmically averaged characteristic phonon frequency exhibit dome-shaped curves. Results from specific heat measurements indicate that the superconductivity is of a strongly coupled s-wave type observed. Furthermore, at low Nb content, the upper critical field of the samples is larger than the Pauli paramagnetic limit. The strongly coupling behavior and large upper critical field in s-wave type (Ti0.33Hf0.33Ta0.33)1-xNbx MEA superconductors are unusual, as they typically occur in other unconventional superconductors. Thus, (Ti0.33Hf0.33Ta0.33)1-xNbx may have significant potential in the research and understanding of physical mechanisms.