Specific heat study of the Na(0.3)CoO(2).1.3H(2)O superconductor: influence of the complex chemistry

TL;DR

This study investigates the specific heat of Na(0.3)CoO(2).1.3H(2)O superconductor, revealing the effects of inhomogeneity and complex chemistry on its superconducting properties and emphasizing the need for careful sample handling.

Contribution

It provides detailed specific heat measurements and highlights the impact of Na content inhomogeneity on the superconductor's behavior, a novel insight for this material.

Findings

Residual normal state electrons exist below Tc.

Superconducting transition is sensitive to magnetic fields.

Inhomogeneity affects the interpretation of superconducting properties.

Abstract

We report results of specific heat measurements on polycrystalline samples of the layered superconductor, Na(0.3)CoO(2).1.3H(2)O. The electronic contribution to the specific heat, gamma, is found to be 12.2 mJ/mol-K2. The feature at the superconducting transition is rather sharp, becoming broad and strongly suppressed in an applied magnetic field. The data indicate a residual normal state electronic specific heat at low temperatures, implying that there is a sizable population of normal state electrons in the samples even below Tc. Inhomogeneity in the Na content, to which the superconducting state is exquisitely sensitive, appears to be the most likely explanation for these results. These results further indicate that special sample handling is required for an accurate characterization of the superconducting state in this material.