Is sodium a superconductor under high pressure?
Abstract
Superconductivity has been predicted or measured for most alkali metals under high pressure, but the computed critical temperature (Tc) of sodium (Na) at the face-centered cubic (fcc) phase is vanishingly low. Here we report a thorough, first-principles investigation of superconductivity in Na under pressures up to 260 GPa, where the metal-to-insulator transition occurs. Linear-response calculations and density functional perturbation theory were employed to evaluate phonon distributions and the electron-phonon coupling for bcc, fcc, cI16, and tI19 Na. Our results indicate that the maximum electron-phonon coupling parameter, λ, is 0.5 for the cI16 phase, corresponding to a theoretical peak in the critical temperature at Tc ≈ 1.2 K. When pressure decreases or increases from 130 GPa, Tc drops quickly. This is mainly due to the lack of p-d hybridization in Na even at 260 GPa. Since current methods based on the Eliashberg and McMillian formalisms tend to overestimate the Tc (especially the peak values) of alkali metals, we conclude that under high pressure—before the metal-to-insulator transition at 260 GPa—superconductivity in Na is very weak, if it is measurable at all.
- Authors:
-
[1];
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics
- Carnegie Inst. of Washington, Washington, DC (United States). Geophysical Lab.
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Physics
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1465370
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1361719
- Grant/Contract Number:
- SC0006433
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Chemical Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 146; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-9606
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Tutchton, Roxanne, Chen, Xiaojia, and Wu, Zhigang. Is sodium a superconductor under high pressure?. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4973549.
Tutchton, Roxanne, Chen, Xiaojia, & Wu, Zhigang. Is sodium a superconductor under high pressure?. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4973549
Tutchton, Roxanne, Chen, Xiaojia, and Wu, Zhigang. Sat .
"Is sodium a superconductor under high pressure?". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4973549. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1465370.
@article{osti_1465370,
title = {Is sodium a superconductor under high pressure?},
author = {Tutchton, Roxanne and Chen, Xiaojia and Wu, Zhigang},
abstractNote = {Superconductivity has been predicted or measured for most alkali metals under high pressure, but the computed critical temperature (Tc) of sodium (Na) at the face-centered cubic (fcc) phase is vanishingly low. Here we report a thorough, first-principles investigation of superconductivity in Na under pressures up to 260 GPa, where the metal-to-insulator transition occurs. Linear-response calculations and density functional perturbation theory were employed to evaluate phonon distributions and the electron-phonon coupling for bcc, fcc, cI16, and tI19 Na. Our results indicate that the maximum electron-phonon coupling parameter, λ, is 0.5 for the cI16 phase, corresponding to a theoretical peak in the critical temperature at Tc ≈ 1.2 K. When pressure decreases or increases from 130 GPa, Tc drops quickly. This is mainly due to the lack of p-d hybridization in Na even at 260 GPa. Since current methods based on the Eliashberg and McMillian formalisms tend to overestimate the Tc (especially the peak values) of alkali metals, we conclude that under high pressure—before the metal-to-insulator transition at 260 GPa—superconductivity in Na is very weak, if it is measurable at all.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4973549},
journal = {Journal of Chemical Physics},
number = 1,
volume = 146,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 07 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Sat Jan 07 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
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