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Discovery of a Superhard Iron Tetraboride Superconductor

Huiyang Gou, Natalia Dubrovinskaia, Elena Bykova, Alexander A. Tsirlin, Deepa Kasinathan, Walter Schnelle, Asta Richter, Marco Merlini, Michael Hanfland, Artem M. Abakumov, Dmitry Batuk, Gustaaf Van Tendeloo, Yoichi Nakajima, Aleksey N. Kolmogorov, and Leonid Dubrovinsky
Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 157002 – Published 7 October 2013
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Abstract

Single crystals of novel orthorhombic (space group Pnnm) iron tetraboride FeB4 were synthesized at pressures above 8 GPa and high temperatures. Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements demonstrate bulk superconductivity below 2.9 K. The putative isotope effect on the superconducting critical temperature and the analysis of specific heat data indicate that the superconductivity in FeB4 is likely phonon mediated, which is rare for Fe-based superconductors. The discovered iron tetraboride is highly incompressible and has the nanoindentation hardness of 62(5) GPa; thus, it opens a new class of highly desirable materials combining advanced mechanical properties and superconductivity.

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  • Received 22 February 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.157002

© 2013 American Physical Society

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Materials Prediction Scores a Hit

Published 7 October 2013

Calculations predicting a new high-pressure superconductor are borne out by experiment.

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Authors & Affiliations

Huiyang Gou1,2, Natalia Dubrovinskaia2,*, Elena Bykova1,2, Alexander A. Tsirlin3,4, Deepa Kasinathan3, Walter Schnelle3, Asta Richter5, Marco Merlini6, Michael Hanfland7, Artem M. Abakumov8, Dmitry Batuk8, Gustaaf Van Tendeloo8, Yoichi Nakajima1, Aleksey N. Kolmogorov9, and Leonid Dubrovinsky1

  • 1Bayerisches Geoinstitut, Universität Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
  • 2Laboratory of Crystallography, Material Physics and Technology at Extreme Conditions, University of Bayreuth, D-95440 Bayreuth, Germany
  • 3Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Nöthnitzer Straße 40, D-01187 Dresden, Germany
  • 4National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, Akadeemia tee 23, 12618 Tallinn, Estonia
  • 5Technische Hochschule Wildau, Bahnhofstraße 1, D-15745 Wildau, Germany
  • 6Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Botticelli 23, 20133 Milano, Italy
  • 7ESRF, Boîte Postale 220, 38043 Grenoble, France
  • 8EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp, Belgium
  • 9Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Vestal, New York 13850, USA

  • *natalia.dubrovinskaia@uni-bayreuth.de

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Issue

Vol. 111, Iss. 15 — 11 October 2013

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