Superconductivity in Novel High-Entropy Alloy UNbTiVZr

High-entropy alloys (HEAs), composed of five or more elements in near-equimolar ratios, form simple crystal structures due to their high configurational entropy [1]. This distinctive attribute gives rise to the development of remarkable mechanical, thermal, and electrical characteristics [2-4]. Since the discovery of superconductivity in the HEA Ta_0.34Nb_0.33Hf_0.08Zr_0.14Ti_0.11 in 2014 [5], numerous superconducting HEAs have been synthesized. Nevertheless, only a limited number of these alloys include actinides, despite the potential for combining favorable superconducting and mechanical properties in applications involving high-durability devices and superconducting magnets.

In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of a novel high-entropy superconducting alloy, UNbTiVZr, which was characterized through measurements of magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and specific heat at low temperatures and under applied magnetic fields. The alloy exhibits a type II superconducting transition, with a critical temperature (T_c) of approximately 2.1 K and an upper critical field (H_c2) of about 5.1 T. This study provides insight into the superconducting properties of HEAs containing actinides, thereby expanding the understanding of their electronic and magnetic behavior.

References:

[1] J.-W. Yeh et al., Adv. Eng. Mater. 6, 299–303 (2004).

[2] K. M. Youssef et al., Mater. Res. Lett. 3, 95–99 (2015).

[3] B. Gludovatz et al. Science 345, 1153–1158 (2014).

[4] Y. Y. Chen et al., Scripta Materialia 54, 1997–2001 (2006).

[5] P. Koželj et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 107001 (2014).