TY - JOUR
T1 - Investigation on the reported superconductivity in intercalated black phosphorus
AU - Yuan, Hanming
AU - Deng, Liangzi
AU - Lv, Bing
AU - Wu, Zheng
AU - Yang, Ze
AU - Li, Sheng
AU - Huyan, Shuyuan
AU - Ni, Yizhou
AU - Sun, Jingying
AU - Tian, Fei
AU - Wang, Dezhi
AU - Wang, Hui
AU - Chen, Shuo
AU - Ren, Zhifeng
AU - Chu, Ching Wu
N1 - Funding Information:
The work in Houston is supported in part by U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant No. FA9550-15-1-0236, the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, the John J. and Rebecca Moores Endowment, and the State of Texas through the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston.
Funding Information:
The work in Houston is supported in part by U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant No. FA9550-15-1-0236 , the T.L.L. Temple Foundation , the John J. and Rebecca Moores Endowment , and the State of Texas through the Texas Center for Superconductivity at the University of Houston.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/3
Y1 - 2018/3
N2 - Superconductivity intrinsic to the intercalated black phosphorus (BP) with a transition temperature Tc of 3.8 K, independent of the intercalant, whether an alkali or an alkaline earth element, has been reported recently by R. Zhang et al. (2017). However, the reported Tc and the field effect on the superconducting (SC) transition both bear great similarities to those for the pure Sn, which is commonly used for BP synthesis under the vapor transport method. We have therefore decided to determine whether a minute amount of Sn is present in the starting high purity BP crystals and whether it is the culprit for the small SC signal detected. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirmed the existence of Sn in the starting high purity BP crystals purchased from the same company as in R. Zhang et al. (2017). We have reproduced the SC transition at 3.8 K in Li- and Na-intercalated BP crystals that contain minute amounts of Sn when prepared by the vapor transport method but not in BP crystals that are free of Sn when prepared by the high-pressure method. We have therefore concluded that the SC transition reported by R. Zhang et al. (2017) is associated with the Sn but not intrinsic to the intercalated BP crystals.
AB - Superconductivity intrinsic to the intercalated black phosphorus (BP) with a transition temperature Tc of 3.8 K, independent of the intercalant, whether an alkali or an alkaline earth element, has been reported recently by R. Zhang et al. (2017). However, the reported Tc and the field effect on the superconducting (SC) transition both bear great similarities to those for the pure Sn, which is commonly used for BP synthesis under the vapor transport method. We have therefore decided to determine whether a minute amount of Sn is present in the starting high purity BP crystals and whether it is the culprit for the small SC signal detected. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results confirmed the existence of Sn in the starting high purity BP crystals purchased from the same company as in R. Zhang et al. (2017). We have reproduced the SC transition at 3.8 K in Li- and Na-intercalated BP crystals that contain minute amounts of Sn when prepared by the vapor transport method but not in BP crystals that are free of Sn when prepared by the high-pressure method. We have therefore concluded that the SC transition reported by R. Zhang et al. (2017) is associated with the Sn but not intrinsic to the intercalated BP crystals.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.mtphys.2018.01.002
DO - 10.1016/j.mtphys.2018.01.002
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85051523688
SN - 2542-5293
VL - 4
SP - 7
EP - 11
JO - Materials Today Physics
JF - Materials Today Physics
ER -