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Emergence of superconductivity in BaNi2(Ge1xPx)2 at a structural instability

Daigorou Hirai, F. von Rohr, and R. J. Cava
Phys. Rev. B 86, 100505(R) – Published 19 September 2012

Abstract

The physical properties and structural evolution of the 122-type solid solution BaNi2(Ge1xPx)2 are reported. The in-plane X-X (X = Ge1xPx) dimer formation present in the end member BaNi2Ge2, which results in a structural transition to orthorhombic symmetry, is completely suppressed to zero temperature on P substitution near x=0.7, and a dome-shaped superconducting phase with a maximum Tc=2.9 K emerges. Clear indications of phonon softening and enhanced electron-phonon coupling are observed at the composition of the structural instability. Our findings show that dimer breaking offers possibilities as a tuning parameter of superconductivity.

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  • Received 14 July 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.100505

©2012 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Daigorou Hirai, F. von Rohr*, and R. J. Cava

  • Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA

  • *Present address: Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.

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Issue

Vol. 86, Iss. 10 — 1 September 2012

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