The prediction of transition temperatures can be regarded in several ways, either as an exacting test of theory, or as a tool for identifying theoretical rules for defining new homology models. Popular "first principle" methods for predicting transition temperatures in conventional crystalline superconductors have failed for cuprate HTSC, as have parameterized models based on CuO2 planes (with or without apical oxygen). Following a path suggested by Bayesian probability, we find that the glassy, self-organized dopant network percolative model is so successful that it defines a new homology class appropriate to ceramic superconductors. The reasons for this success are discussed, and a critical comparison is made with previous theories. The predictions are successful for all ceramics, including new non-cuprates based on FeAs in place of CuO2.
Optimally doped ceramic superconductors (cuprates, pnictides, ...) exhibit transition temperatures Tc much larger than strongly coupled metallic superconductors like Pb (Tc= 7.2K, Eg/kTc = 4.5), and exhibit many universal features that appear to contradict the BCS theory of superconductivity based on attractive electron-phonon pairing interactions. Here I argue that this paradoxical simplicity is plausibly resolved within the framework of the Pauling-Phillips self-organized, hard-wired dopant network model of ceramic superconductors, which has previously explained many features of the normal-s…
Ceramic superconductors (cuprates, pnictides, ...) exhibit universal features in both Tcmax and in their planar lattice disordering measured by EXAFS, as reflected by three phase transitions. The two highest temperature transitions are known to be associated with formation of pseudogaps and superconductive gaps, with corresponding Landau order parameters, but no new gap is associated with the third transition below Tc. It is argued that the third transition is a dopant glass transition, which is remarkably similar to transitions previously observed in chalcogenide and oxide alloy network glass…
We discuss the applied magnetic field dependence of the absorption of microwaves by a 3-dimensional array up to 30x30x30 Josephson junctions with random parameters including the resistivity, capacity and inductance of each junction. The numerical simulation results for the networks show characteristic microwave absorption anomalies observed in the ceramic samples of high temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O(7-x). We also provide a discussion of the absorption in simple analytical terms of Josephson loop instabilities.
Possible occurrence of an equilibrium thermodynamic phase with a spontaneously broken time-reversal symmetry is studied in a model ceramic superconductor with anisotropic pairing symmetry. It is shown by Monte Carlo simulations that such a ``chiral-glass'' phase is truly stable even under the influence of screening. Existence of frustration in zero external field, arising from the d-wave pairing symmetry of high-T_c superconductors, is essential to realize this phase. Via a finite-size scaling analysis, critical exponents associated with the chiral-glass transition are estimated to be ν_CG=1.3…
Using a recently developed scaling procedure that allows to establish the temperature dependence of the normalized upper critical field from measurements of the equilibrium isothermal magnetization, we analyze experimental data obtained on polycrystalline and ceramic samples. We show that the scaling procedure works quite well in all cases that we have considered. This provides a very strong evidence that the temperature dependencies of the normalized upper critical field are independent of the orientation of an applied magnetic field with respect to the crystallographic axes of these material…
A three-dimensional lattice of the Josephson junctions with a finite self-conductance is employed to model the ceramic superconductors. The nonlinear ac susceptibility and the compensation effect are studied by Monte Carlo simulations in this model. The compensation effect is shown to be due to the existence of the chiral glass phase. We demonstrate, in agreement with experiments, that this effect may be present in the ceramic superconductors which show the paramagnetic Meissner effect.
A three-dimensional lattice of the Josephson junctions with a finite self-conductance is employed to model the ceramic superconductors. By Monte Carlo simulations it is shown that the chiral glass phase is stable in three dimensions even under the influence of screening. The nonlinear ac susceptibility and the compensation effect are also studied. The compensation effect is shown to be due to the existence of the chiral glass phase. In agreement with experiments, this effect is demonstrated to be present in the ceramic superconductors which show the paramagnetic Meissner effect.
A three-dimensional lattice of the Josephson junctions with a finite self-conductance is employed to model ceramic superconductors. Using Monte Carlo simulations it is shown that the aging disappears in the strong screening limit. In the weeak screening regime aging is present even at low temperatures. For intermediate values of the self-inductance aging occurs at intermediate temperatures interval but is suppressed entirely at high and low temperatures. Our results are in good agreement with experiments.
Signatures of room-temperature superconductivity emerging in two-dimensional domains within the new Bi/Pb-based ceramic cuprate superconductors at ambient pressure
We model d-wave ceramic superconductors with a three-dimensional lattice of randomly distributed $π$ Josephson junctions with finite self-inductance. The linear and nonlinear ac resistivity of the d-wave ceramic superconductors is obtained as function of temperature by solving the corresponding Langevin dynamical equations. We find that the linear ac resistivity remains finite at the temperature $T_p$ where the third harmonics of resistivity has a peak. The current amplitude dependence of the nonlinear resistivity at the peak position is found to be a power law. These results agree qualitative…
A high-temperature YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x} bulk ceramic superconductor with composite structure has revealed weak shielding properties against gravitational force while in a levitating state at temperatures below 70 K. A toroidal disk was prepared using conventional ceramic technology in combination with melt-texture growth. Two solenoids were placed around the disk in order to initiate the current inside it and to rotate the disk about its central axis. Samples placed over the rotating disk initially demonstrated a weight loss of 0.3-0.5%. When the rotation speed was slowly reduced by changing the c…
The effect of annealing in high pressure oxygen atmosphere on superconducting transition temperatures for ceramic samples of magnetic superconductor europium based 1222 ruthenocuprate was studied. It was shown that the properties of the samples are consistent with the behavior of granular superconducting system. As a result of oxygen saturation the superconducting transition temperatures become higher. Particularly, the shift of superconducting transition temperature for the intergranular medium is 9.2 K and for the matter within the granules 6.8 K. This difference is supposed due to the mecha…
We report results of microwave second-harmonic generation in ceramic samples of MgB2, prepared by different methods. The SH signal has been investigated as a function of the temperature and the static magnetic field. The results are discussed in the framework of models reported in the literature. We show that the peculiarities of the SH signal are related to the specific properties of the sample. A comparison with the results obtained in ceramic and crystalline YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) shows that the second-harmonic emission in MgB2 is weaker than that observed in ceramic YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7).
Analysis of the resistive transition of a polycristalline YBCO specimen produced by an a.c. magnetic field, reveals the presence of a large conductance noise signal which is repetitive over subsequent magnetization cycles. It is shown that the noise arises from avalanche effects produced by the simultaneous resistive transition of large groups of weak links. Owing to its repeatability, the noise signal may be considered a sort of signature of the weak links critical current distribution, making it an interesting new tool for the study of high Tc ceramic superconductors, as reported measurement…
A single-sample synthesis concept based on multi-element ceramic samples can produce a variety of local products. When applied to cuprate superconductors (SC), statistical modelling predicts the occurrence of possible compounds in a concentration range of about 50 ppm. In samples with such low concentrations, determining which compositions are superconducting is a challenging task and requires local probes or separation techniques. Here, we report results from samples with seven components: BaO2, CaCO3, SrCO3, La2O3, PbCO3, ZrO2 and CuO oxides and carbonates, starting from different grain size…
Understanding the nature of grain boundary (GB) characteristics in combination with creating low-energy GBs by modifying the processing conditions, so-called GB engineering, is of great importance for controlling and reducing the defect density, leading to improved functionalities of polycrystalline metals and ceramics. For superconductors particularly, including both low- and high-temperature superconductors, GB engineering has been developed to improve especially the critical current densities, Jc, across these GBs. The intrinsic physical properties of a given superconductor such as the cohe…
The measurements of temperature dependence of AC magnetic susceptibility were used to study the influence of inhomogeneities on intragranular superconducting properties of YBa2Cu3-xMxOy (M=Fe,x=0.005; Al,x=0.01; Cr,x=0.01), Bi1.7Pb0.2Sb0.1Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy and Bi1.5Pb0.3Sb0.2Sr2Ca2Cu3Oy ceramics. It is found that step-like regions are revealed on AC magnetic field dependence curves Tmg(ho) of hysteresis losses peak temperature for superconducting granuls. The steps at temperature scale depend on sample's composition as well as on the type of atoms sabstituted for the copper. They range from 1 to 2 K…
Ceramic samples of Sr2RuO(4-y)Sy (y=0.03-1.2) with intended isovalent substitution of oxygen by sulfur have been synthesized and explored in the temperature range 4-300K. It is found that at a range of optimum sulfur substitution the magnetic response of ceramic samples reveals large diamagnetic signal with amplitudes approaching comparability with that of the YBCO-superconductors. Contrary to a pure ceramic Sr2RuO4, if properly optimized, the resistivity of sulfur-substituted samples has a metallic behavior except at lower temperatures where an upturn occurs. Both synthesis conditions and res…
The remarkable finding of this work is the linear correlation between the critical temperature of superconducting (SC) transition, Tc, and the room-temperature half-width of angular correlation of positron annihila- tion phonons (ACPAP), Go/2, in the series of powder samples of high-Tc YBCO(123) ceramic superconductors (SCs) with various deficiency of oxygen content. This correlation points to the existence of fundamental physical parameter of materials in all-temperature range,which is the crucial one for their insulator-metal-superconductor (IMSC) transition. We attribute this key-parameter …
We present a magnetization study of low density YBCO ceramics carried out in magnetic fields 0.5 Oe < H < 50 kOe. It was demonstrated that superconducting links between grains may be completely suppressed either by a magnetic field of the order of 100 Oe (at low temperatures) or by an increase of temperature above 70 K. This property of present samples allowed to evaluate the ratio between an average grain size and the magnetic field penetration depth lambda. Furthermore, at temperatures T > 85 K, using low-field magnetization measurements, we could evaluate the temperature dependence of lambd…
We model s- and d-wave ceramic superconductors with a three-dimensional lattice of randomly distributed Josephson junctions with finite self-inductance. The field and temperature dependences of the microwave absoption are obtained by solving the corresponding Langevin dynamical equations. We find that at magnetic field H=0 the microwave absoption of the s-wave samples, when plotted against the field, has a minimum at any temperature. In the case of d-wave superconductors one has a peak at H=0 in the temperature region where the paramagnetic Meissner effect is observable. These results agree wi…
The results of micro-structural and detailed magnetization studies are reported here for our recently published TbSr2Cu2.7Mo0.3O7+d superconductor with a transition temperature (Tc) at as high as 80 K [1]. From XRD and EDX the sample was confirmed to be of single-phase and possess the nominal cation stoichiometry. The SEM images showed well-developed grains for this ceramic high-Tc superconductor. Magnetization measurements at various temperatures and fields revealed bulk superconductivity below 80 K. Magnetization versus applied field (M vs. H) loops at various temperatures below the Tc exhib…
We discuss the occurrence of crossing points in the magnetization - temperature $(m,T$) plane within the framework of critical phenomena. It is shown that in a two-dimensional superconducting slab of thickness $d_{s}$ $m_{z}(δ)$ versus temperature $T$ curves measured in different fields $\mathbf{H} = H(0,\sin (δ) ,\cos (δ))$ will cross at the critical temperature T_c of the slab. In contrast, in a 3D anisotropic bulk superconductor the crossing point occurs in the plot $m_{z}(δ) /H_{z}^{1/2}$ versus $T$. The experimental facts that 2D crossing point features have been observed in ceramics and …
With the discovery of Tc s over 100K, continuously biased hole-doped semiconductive C60+y has joined the family of high-temperature superconductors (HTSC) previously dominated by the ceramic cuprates. The phase diagrams of these two quite different materials are remarkably similar, despite the absence from undoped C60+y of magnetic order. This supports percolative models of HTSC based on strong electron-phonon interactions. These models explain observed fine structure in the C60+y phase diagrams, and furthermore suggest novel paths to still higher Tc s.
The discovery of superconductivity at 39 K in MgB2[1] raises many issues. One of the central questions is whether this new superconductor resembles a high-temperature-cuprate superconductor or a low-temperature metallic superconductor in terms of its current carrying characteristics in applied magnetic fields. In spite of the very high transition temperatures of the cuprate superconductors, their performance in magnetic fields has several drawbacks[2]. Their large anisotropy restricts high bulk current densities to much less than the full magnetic field-temperature (H-T) space over which super…
We report experimental results of second-harmonic (SH) response at microwave frequency in several ceramic MgB2 samples, prepared by different methods. The SH signal has been investigated as a function of the temperature and DC magnetic field. The investigation has been carried out at low magnetic fields, where nonlinear processes arising from motion of Abrikosov fluxons are ineffective. We show that the low-temperature SH emission is ascribable to processes involving weak links. Comparison among the peculiarities of the SH signal radiated by the different samples shows that the presence of wea…
Electrical characteristics $(I(eV), dV/dI(eV), d^{2}V/dI^{2}(eV))$ are studied comprehensively for pressed submicron point contacts between fresh fractures of LaSrCuO ceramic pellets and a normal metal (Cu). Point contacts (PC) with the direct-type conductivity are investigated, which are characterized by a considerable excess current due to Andreev reflection of quasiparticles at an NS boundary of high transparency. Basic requirements for point contacts suitable for PC measurements are formulated. The models of investigated point contacts permitting the interpretation of the observed characte…
Using the Eliashberg strong coupling theory with vertex correction, we calculate maps of transition temperatures (T$_{c}$) of electron-phonon superconductors in full parameter space. The maximums of transition temperatures for superconductors are predicted based on the maps and the criterion of instability of superconductivity. The strong vertex correction and high transition temperature are tightly correlated in superconductors. We predict that the maximum of T$_{c}$ of new iron-based superconductors will be close to 90(K).
High temperature superconductors have in common that they consist of parallel planes of copper oxide separated by layers whose composition can vary. Being ceramics, the cuprate superconductors are poor conductors above the transition temperature, T_c. Below T_c, the parallel Cu-O planes in those materials become superconducting while the layers in between stay poor conductors. Here, we ask to what extent the change in the Casimir energy that arises when the parallel Cu-O layers become superconducting could contribute to the superconducting condensation energy. Our aim here is merely to obtain …
We report the synthesis, crystal structure and physical properties of two new high-entropy silicides (HESs), namely (Nb$_{0.1}$Mo$_{0.3}$W$_{0.3}$Re$_{0.2}$Ru$_{0.1}$)$_{5}$Si$_{3}$ and (Nb$_{0.2}$Mo$_{0.3}$W$_{0.3}$Re$_{0.1}$Ru$_{0.1}$)$_{5}$Si$_{3}$. Structural analysis indicates that both HESs consist of a (nearly) single tetragonal W$_{5}$Si$_{3}$-type phase (space group $I$4/$mcm$) with a disordered cation distribution. Electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements show that (Nb$_{0.1}$Mo$_{0.3}$W$_{0.3}$Re$_{0.2}$Ru$_{0.1}$)$_{5}$Si$_{3}$ and (Nb$_{0.2}$M…
Following the recent NMR experiments by Gorny et al., we discuss the effect of a magnetic field on the superconducting T_c and the spin pseudo-gap T^*. As a testable prediction, we argue that a spin pseudo-gap should also be observed in over-doped samples in a magnetic fied (while normally there is no pseudo-gap above T_c). We find that different theoretical approaches have marked differences in their predictions for over-doped HTc cuprates.
Off-axis electron holography can measure the mean inner electric potential of materials. The theory of hole superconductivity predicts that when a material is cooled into the superconducting state it expels electrons from its interior to the surface, giving rise to a mean inner potential that increases with sample thickness. Instead, in a normal metal and in a conventional BCS superconductor the mean inner potential is expected to be independent of sample thickness and temperature. Thus, this experiment can provide a definitive test of the validity of the theory of hole superconductivity.
Critical behavior of the infrared reflectivity of RuSr_2GdCu_2O_8 ceramics is observed near the superconducting T_{SC} = 45 K and magnetic T_M = 133 K transition temperatures. The optical conductivity reveals the typical features of the c-axis optical conductivity of strongly underdoped multilayer superconducting cuprates. The transformation of the Cu-O bending mode at 288 cm^{-1} to a broad absorption peak at the temperatures between T^* = 90 K and T_{SC} is clearly observed, and is accompanied by the suppression of spectral weight at low frequencies. The correlated shifts to lower frequencie…
A wide variety of superconducting oxides are used to test a general model of high pressure induced transition temperature (T c) changes. The T c 's vary from a low of 24 K to a high of 164 K. Although the model is capable of predicting both increases and decreases in T c with pressure, only superconductors that exhibit an increase are considered at this time. Predictions are made of the maximum T^ cP theo for 15 super-conductors as a function of their compressibilities. The theoretical results generally agree well with experiment. This model of T c as a function of pressure is derived from a r…
I argue that the conventional BCS-London theory of superconductivity does not explain the most fundamental property of superconductors, the Meissner effect: how is the Meissner current generated, and how is it able to defy Faraday's law? How is its mechanical angular momentum compensated? I propose that superconductivity is impossible unless the metal expels charge from its interior towards the surface in the transition to superconductivity. As a consequence, superconductors in their ground state are predicted to possess a macroscopic electric field in their interior, as well as excess negativ…
Results of the investigation of fluctuation phenomena in bulk type-II superconductors obtained in 1980 - 1984 years are compared with the analogous results obtained at the investigation of high-Tc superconductors (HTSC). It is shown the latter repeat in the main the results obtained before the HTSC discovery. It was discovered in 1981 year that a sharp change of resistive properties is observed below the second critical field, at H_{c4} < H_{c2}, in high quality samples of type-II superconductors. The same was repeated at investigation of high quality HTSC samples and was interpreted as vortex…
When an in-plane field is applied to a clean interface superconductor, a Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO)-like phase is stabilized. This phase has a $\mathrm{U}(1)\times\mathrm{U}(1)$ symmetry and, in principle, this symmetry allows for flux carrying topological excitations different from Abrikosov vortices (which are the simplest defects associated with $S^1 \to S^1$ maps). However, in practice, largely due to electromagnetic and other intercomponent interactions, such topological excitations are very rare in superconducting systems. Here we demonstrate that a realistic microscopic the…
In finite magnetic field H, the excitation spectrum of the low energy quasiparticles in a 2 dimensional d-wave superconductor exhibits a scaling with respect to $H^{1/2}$. This property can be used to calculate scaling relations for various physical quantities at low temperature T. As examples, we make predictions for the scaling behavior of the finite magnetic field specific heat, quasiparticle magnetic susceptibility, optical conductivity tensor, and thermal conductivity tensor. These predictions are compatible with existing experimental data. Most notably, the thermal Hall coefficient $κ_{x…
We demonstrate that the inclusion of van der Waals dispersive interaction sensibly improves the prediction of lattice constants by density functional theory in iron-chalcogenides (FeCh) superconductor compounds, namely FeSe and FeTe. We show how generalized gradient approximation (GGA) for the exchange correlation potential overestimates the out-of-plane lattice constants in both compounds when compared with experiments. In addition, GGA predicts a too weak bonding between the neutral FeCh layers, with a sensible underestimation of the bulk modulus. van der Waals corrected simulations complete…
Trapped fields of over 20 T are, in principle, achievable in bulk, single-grain high temperature cuprate superconductors. The principle barriers to realizing such performance are, firstly, the large tensile stresses that develop during the magnetization of such trapped-field magnets as a result of the Lorentz force, which lead to brittle fracture of these ceramic-like materials at high fields and, secondly, catastrophic thermal instabilities as a result of flux movement during magnetization. Moreover, for a batch of samples nominally fabricated identically, the statistical nature of the failur…
We study how time- and angle-resolved photoemission (tr-ARPES) reveals the dynamics of BCS-type, s-wave superconducting systems with time-varying order parameters. Approximate methods are discussed, based on previous approaches to either optical conductivity or quantum dot transport, in order to enable computationally efficient prediction of photoemission spectra. One use of such predictions is to enable extraction of the underlying order parameter dynamics from experimental data, which is topical given the rapidly growing use of tr-ARPES in studying unconventional superconductivity. The metho…
We have fabricated quasi-two-dimensional arrays of nano-scale Pb grains coupled by an overlayer of Ag grains. Their temperature dependent resistive transitions follow predictions for an array of mesoscopic superconductor-normal-superconductor junctions. The decrease of their transition temperatures with Ag overlayer thickness systematically deviates from the Cooper limit theory of the proximity effect as the Pb grain size decreases. The deviations occur when the estimated number of Cooper pairs per grain is less than or equal to 1 and suggest the approach to a superconductor to metal transitio…
Contrary to recent theoretical prediction, we show that the magnetic flux of a vortex in SU(2) model of two-gap superconductor is quantized in units of 2π/g, not 4 π/g. For the U(1) version of this model, the flux is quantized in units of 2 πα/g where 0 < α< 1. The parameter αdepends on the masses and concentrations of the Cooper pairs in the two condensates.
Even though superconductivity has been studied intensively for more than a century, the vast majority of superconductivity research today is carried out in nearly the same manner as decades ago. That is, each study tends to focus on only a single material or small subset of materials, and discoveries are made more or less serendipitously. Recent increases in computing power, novel machine learning algorithms, and improved experimental capabilities offer new opportunities to revolutionize superconductor discovery. These will enable the rapid prediction of structures and properties of novel mate…
We compare results of high-resolution magnetic flux (susceptibility) measurements in very weak magnetic field, performed of three classes of superconductors. They reveal astonishing details of the transition to the superconducting state. Although Pb behaves also on this scale according to BCS predictions, La is more reminiscent of HTS materials, which exhibit anomalous features. We suggest that known structure peculiarities are due to a strong electron-lattice instability and lead to a resonance electron back scattering.
As the most successful microscopic superconductivity theory, Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer(BCS) theory has a very peculiar prediction: at zero temperature, only a fraction of electrons within an energy shell form Cooper pair and condense, but all electrons participate to form a macroscopic superfluid and contribute to the superfluid density (inverse square of penetration depth). Very recently, this prediction was challenged by directly measuring the penetration depth upon doping in overdoped cuprates. (Bozovic et al., 2016) Here, we show that such a counter-intuitive prediction of BCS theory is no…
Since the discovery of superconductivity in the cuprates two decades ago, it has been firmly established that the CuO_2 plane is consequential for high T_C superconductivity and a host of other very unusual properties. A new family of superconductors with the general composition of LaFeAsO_(1-x)F_x has recently been discovered but with the conspicuous lacking of the CuO_2 planes, thus raising the tantalizing questions of the different pairing mechanisms in these oxypnictide superconductors. Intimately related to pairing in a superconductor are the superconducting gap, its value, structure, and…
There has been a puzzle between experiments and theoretical predictions on the charge ordering of layered titanium-oxypnictides superconductors. Unconventional mechanisms to explain this discrepancy have been argued so far, even affecting the understanding of superconductivity on the compound. We provide a new theoretical prediction, by which the discrepancy itself is resolved without any complicated unconventional explanation. Phonon dispersions and changes of nesting vectors in Fermi surfaces are clarified to lead to the variety of superlattice structures even for the common crystal structur…
Tree Models Machine Learning to Identify Liquid Metal based Alloy Superconductor
Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院理化技术研究所）；University of Chinese Academy of Sciences（中国科学院大学）；Tsinghua University（清华大学）
