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Search results for: HEUSLER COMPOUNDS
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MgPdSb─An Electron-Deficient Half-Heusler Phase
PublicationThe half-Heusler family consists of many semiconducting intermetallic compounds, virtually all of them having a valence electron count (VEC) of 18. We have studied an electron-deficient (VEC = 17) phase MgPdSb and its Pd-stuffed variant MgPd1.25Sb. The cubic F4̅3m crystal structure was confirmed by the Rietveld refinement of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data. The lattice parameter is a = 6.284 and 6.335 Å for MgPdSb and MgPd1.25Sb,...
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Superconductivity–Electron Count Relationship in Heusler Phases─the Case of LiPd2Si
PublicationWe report superconductivity in the full Heusler compound LiPd2Si (space group Fm3̅m, No. 225) at a critical temperature of Tc = 1.3 K and a normalized heat capacity jump at Tc, ΔC/γTc = 1.1. The low-temperature isothermal magnetization curves imply type-I superconductivity, as previously observed in LiPd2Ge. We show, based on density functional theory calculations and using the molecular orbital theory approach, that while LiPd2Si...
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Soft-mode enhanced type-I superconductivity in LiPd2Ge
PublicationThe synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties (magnetization, resistivity, heat capacity) in combination with theoretical calculations of the electronic structure and phonon properties are reported for intermetallic compounds LiPd2X (X = Si, Ge, and Sn). LeBail refinement of powder x-ray diffraction data confirms that all compounds belong to the Heusler family (space group Fm-3m, No. 225). The lattice parameter increases...
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MgPd2Sb : A Mg-based Heusler-type superconductor
PublicationWe report the synthesis and physical properties of a full Heusler compound, MgPd2Sb, which we found toshow superconductivity belowTc=2.2K. MgPd2Sb was obtained by a two-step solid-state reaction methodand its purity and cubic crystal structure [Fm-3m,a=6.4523(1) Å] were confirmed by powder x-ray diffrac-tion. Normal and superconducting states were studied by electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, andheat...
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Superconductivity in LiGa2Ir Heusler type compound with VEC = 16
PublicationPolycrystalline LiGa2Ir has been prepared by a solid state reaction method. A Rietveld refnement of powder x-ray difraction data confrms a previously reported Heusler-type crystal structure (space group Fm-3m, No. 225) with lattice parameter a= 6.0322(1) Å. The normal and superconducting state properties were studied by magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity techniques. A bulk superconductivity with...
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Importance of Specific Heat Characterization when Reporting New Superconductors: An Example of Superconductivity in LiGa2Rh
PublicationWe show that the full-Heusler compound LiGa2Rh is a superconductor with Tc = 2.4 K. The new superconductor was found as a result of an intuition-based extension of a database search for superconductors that looked for the presence of peaks in the electronic band structure near the Fermi energy. The measurement of the entropy loss during the transition from the nonsuperconducting to the superconducting state, a straightforward measurement...