Low-energy phonons and superconductivity in Sn$_{.8}$In$_{.2}$Te

ORAL

Abstract

We present neutron scattering measurements on low-energy phonons from a superconducting ($Tc =$ 2.7 K) Sn$_{.8}$In$_{.2}$Te single crystal sample. The longitudinal acoustic phonon mode and one transverse acoustic branch have been mapped out around the (002) Bragg peak for temperatures of 1.7 K and 4.2 K. We observe a substantial energy width of the transverse phonons at energies comparable to twice the superconducting gap; however, there is no change in this width between the superconducting and normal states. We also confirm that the compound is well ordered, with no indications of structural instability.

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Authors

  • Guangyong Xu

    Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Lab

  • Zhijun Xu

    UC Berkeley, University of California, Berkeley

  • John Schneeloch

    Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY 11973, USA, Brookhaven Natl Lab, BNL, Stony Brook, Brookhaven National Lab

  • Ruidan Zhong

    Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY 11973, USA, BNL, Stony Brook, Brookhaven National Lab

  • J.A. Rodriguez-Rivera

    NIST Center for Neutron Research, NIST

  • L. Harriger

    NIST Center for Neutron Research

  • Robert Birgeneau

    UC Berkeley

  • Genda Gu

    Brookhaven National Lab, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY 11973, USA, Brookhaven Natl Lab, BNL, Department of Physics, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, NY, University of Colorado at Boulder

  • John Tranquada

    Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, NY 11973, USA, Brookhaven Natl Lab, BNl