skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Size effect of strong-coupled superconducting In{sub 2}Bi nanoparticles: An investigation of short-range electron phonon coupling

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916106· OSTI ID:22410150

We report the influence of the nanosized effect on the superconducting properties of bimetallic In{sub 2}Bi nanoparticles. In this study, the temperature- and applied magnetic field-dependence of the magnetization were utilized to investigate the electron-phonon coupling effect while controlling particle sizes 〈d〉 from 21(2) to 42(5) nm. As the particle size decreases, the electron-phonon constant λ{sub EP} decreases rapidly, signaling the short-range electron-phonon coupling effect which acts to confine the electrons within a smaller volume, thereby giving rise to a higher superconducting transition temperature T{sub C}. An enhanced superconducting transition was observed from the temperature dependence of magnetization, revealing a main diamagnetic Meissner state below T{sub C} ∼ 5.72(5) K for 〈d〉 = 31(1) nm In{sub 2}Bi nanoparticles. The variation of the T{sub C} is very sensitive to the particle size, which might be due to crystallinity and size uniformity of the samples. The electron-phonon coupling to low lying phonons is found to be the leading mechanism for the observed strong-coupling superconductivity in the In{sub 2}Bi system.

OSTI ID:
22410150
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English