Optimizing Growth of Single-Crystalline Li0.9Mo6O17

Lithium Purple Bronze (Li0.9Mo6O17, aka LPB) is a quasi-one-dimensional transition-metal oxide that undergoes a superconducting transition at ~1.8 K [1]. We have grown single crystals of LPB via the temperature-gradient-flux technique described by McCarroll and Greenblatt [2], refining the technique to pinpoint the ideal conditions for growth. Crystals were screened for superconductivity through four-probe resistivity measurements. The effect of post-annealing in the presence or absence of oxygen on the physical properties will be presented.



[1] Cohn, J. L., dos Santos, C. A. M., & Neumeier, J. J. (2023), Phys. Rev. B, 108, L100512.

[2] McCarroll, W. H., & Greenblatt, M. (1984), J. Solid State Chem., 54(2), 282–290.