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Tunneling. cap alpha. /sup 2/F(. omega. ) and heat-capacity measurements in high-T/sub c/ Nb/sub 3/Ge

Journal Article · · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

Improved film synthesis has allowed us to prepare Nb/sub 3/Ge/SiO/sub x//Pb tunnel junctions on samples with high T/sub c/ (up to 21.2 K) and large energy gap (..delta..3Ge up to 3.85 meV). These junctions have satisfactory features for taking derivative measurements. The data were reduced by the modified McMillan-Rowell proximity gap inversion analysis developed by Arnold and Wolf to generate ..cap alpha../sup 2/F(..omega..) and related microscopic parameters. The trend previously seen of a movement of the lowest phonon branch to lower energies as the T/sub c/ and gap increase is continued, resulting in the lowest-energy phonon mode being well defined and enhanced in strength. Theoretical functional derivatives for T/sub c/ (by Bergmann and Rainer) and the energy gap (by Mitrovic et al.) qualitatively explain the rise in T/sub c/, energy gap, and 2..delta../k/sub B/T/sub c/. Heat-capacity measurements have been performed on various samples to give bulk Nb/sub 3/Ge properties, including one sample which was analyzed by tunneling ..cap alpha../sup 2/F(..omega..) and heat capacity. ..gamma.. = 34 +- 1.5 mJ/mole K/sup 2/ and the bare density of states, N(0) = 1.5 +- 0.1 states/eV atom, suggests that a high density of states is inadequate to explain the high T/sub c/ in Nb/sub 3/Ge. Values for 2..delta../k/sub B/T/sub c/ = 4.2 +- 0.1 and ..delta..C/..gamma..T/sub c/approx.1.9 indicate a strong-coupled superconductor, in agreement with tunneling results on this sample.

Research Organization:
Code 6634 Naval Research Laboratories, Washington, D.C. 20375
OSTI ID:
5154583
Journal Information:
Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 29:1; ISSN PRBMD
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English