Intercalant-independent transition temperature in superconducting black phosphorus.

ABSTRACT: Research on black phosphorus has been experiencing a renaissance over the last years, after the demonstration that few-layer crystals exhibit high carrier mobility and a thickness-dependent bandgap. Black phosphorus is also known to be a superconductor under high pressure exceeding 10 GPa. The superconductivity is due to a structural transformation into another allotrope and accompanied by a semiconductor-metal transition. No superconductivity could be achieved for black phosphorus in its normal orthorhombic form, despite several reported attempts. Here we describe its intercalation by several alkali metals (Li, K, Rb and Cs) and alkali-earth Ca. All the intercalated compounds are found to be superconducting, exhibiting the same (within experimental accuracy) critical temperature of 3.8±0.

SUBMITTER: Zhang R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5394339 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature