Superconductivity in hard nitride cP6-WN

Xuefeng Zhou; Chenglu Huang; Jian Chen; Qinchuan Zhang; Chao Gu; Liusuo Wu; Bin Chen; Yusheng Zhao; Shanmin Wang

doi:10.1103/cjqb-59d6

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Superconductivity in hard nitride cP6-WN

Xuefeng Zhou, Chenglu Huang, Jian Chen, Qinchuan Zhang, Chao Gu, Liusuo Wu, Bin Chen, Yusheng Zhao, Shanmin Wang

DOI 10.1103/cjqb-59d6 · Physical Review Materials

T1

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Abstract

The search for novel nitride superconductors with superior mechanical properties is highly demanded for many potential applications, which, however, have been scarcely succeeded for the late 5d transition-metal nitrides, especially for the binary W-N compounds. Here we report the experimental identification of superconductivity in cubic cP6-WN with the NbO-type structure by electrical transport, magnetization, and specific heat measurements, based on high-pressure synthesized samples. The superconducting properties of cP6-WN are well determined and it belongs to a bulk type-II superconductor with a critical onset temperature of Tc=2.86K, showing weak electron-phonon coupling, short coherence length, and high upper critical field, likely due to its unique electronic and structural features. Pressure may slightly enhance electron-phonon interactions for gently promoting its Tc up to 3.83 K at 81 GPa, indicating the remarkable robustness of its superconductivity to external stress. This, combined with its exceptional mechanical hardness that rivals that of tungsten carbide (WC), makes it a compelling candidate for fabrication of durable superconducting electronics and coatings operating under high-stress conditions.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

Formula	Reported Tc (K)	Pressure (GPa)	Type
WN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	2.86	Pressure not reported	onset
WN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	2.57	Pressure not reported	zero_resistance
WN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	2.8	Pressure not reported	onset
WN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	3.83	81 GPa	onset
VN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	9	Pressure not reported	unknown
ZrN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	12	Pressure not reported	unknown
NbN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	16	Pressure not reported	unknown
NbN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	12	Pressure not reported	unknown
MoN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	14	Pressure not reported	unknown
WN Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	31	Pressure not reported	unknown
W2N3 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	21	Pressure not reported	unknown
W2N Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	5	Pressure not reported	unknown
W2N3 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	11.2	35 GPa	unknown
TiO Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	2.3	Pressure not reported	unknown
NbO Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	1.38	Pressure not reported	unknown