Related papers: Negative linear compressibility and unusual dynami…
We employ THz-range temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy and first-principles lattice-dynamical calculations to show that the undoped sodium ion conductors Na$_3$PS$_4$ and isostructural Na$_3$PSe$_4$ both exhibit anharmonic lattice…
Metals, such as tin, antimony, and lead (Pb) have garnered renewed attention for their potential use as alloyant-negative electrode materials in sodium (Na)-ion batteries (NIBs). Despite Pb's toxicity and its high molecular weight, lead is…
Many phenomena in condensed matter are thought to result from competition between different ordered phases. Palladium is a paramagnetic metal close to both ferromagnetism and superconductivity, and is therefore a potentially interesting…
All-solid-state batteries using sodium are promising candidates for next-generation rechargeable batteries due to the limited lithium resources. A practical sodium battery requires an electrolyte with high conductivity. Cubic Na$_3$PS$_4$…
Most reported negative linear compressibility (NLC) materials exhibit either a small NLC over a large pressure range or a high NLC over a very small pressure range. Here, we report the remarkable discovery of giant NLC in the…
Cubic Pm-3n Nb3Sn0.92 superconductor (Tc ~ 16 K) was found to exhibit tetragonal instabilities at the superconducting state (T = 10 K). These instabilities are manifested through the appearance of reflections which are forbidden in the…
Na3Bi is a Dirac semimetal with protected nodes that may be sensitive to the breaking of time-reversal invariance in a magnetic field B. We report experiments which reveal that both the conductivity and resistivity tensors exhibit robust…
Niobium polyhydride was synthesized at high pressure and high temperature conditions by using diamond anvil cell combined with in situ high pressure laser heating techniques. High pressure electric transport experiments demonstrate that…
We report the proximity induced anomalous transport behavior in a Nb Bi1.95Sb0.05Se3 heterostructure. Mechanically Exfoliated single crystal of Bi1.95Sb0.05Se3 topological insulator (TI) is partially covered with a 100 nm thick Niobium…
Sodium layered oxides often undergo phase transformations involving ordering or disordering of Na+ upon desodiation, i.e., when cycled as a battery electrode. Accurately characterizing these phases is crucial for understanding functional…
We report X-ray diffraction patterns and calculated electronic band structures of the Dirac line-nodal material CaSb$_2$ under pressure. Its superconducting transition temperature ($T_{\mathrm{c}}=1.7$ K) increases under pressure and…
The crystalline structures of lanthanum tetraboride, LaB4, under pressure are investigated using a genetic algorithm method coupled with first-principles calculations. We find two low-enthalpy phases for LaB4 as the thermodynamic ground…
Lithium doped sodium niobate is an ecofriendly piezoelectric material that exhibits a variety of structural phase transitions with composition and temperature. We have investigated the phase stabilities of an important composition…
We report the temperature-dependent synchrotron based X-ray diffraction analysis of NASICON type Na$_3$FeCr(PO$_4$)$_3$ sample, which undergoes a symmetry-lowering structural transition from a monoclinic ($C2/c$) phase with long-range…
Niobium carbide (NbC) is a high-field Type II superconductor with a critical temperature ($T_C$) of 11.1 K, just above that of pure Nb ($T_C = 9$ K). Downsizing NbC to the nanoparticle scale introduces significant alterations in its…
We report investigation of structural phase transitions in technologically important material sodium niobate as a function of temperature on heating over 300-1075 K. Our high resolution powder neutron diffraction data show variety of…
The topic of superconductivity in strongly disordered materials has attracted a significant attention. In particular vivid debates are related to the subject of intrinsic spatial inhomogeneity responsible for non-BCS relation between the…
CDW/Normal metal/CDW junctions and nanoconstrictions in crystals of the quasi-one-dimensional conductor NbSe$_3$ are manufactured using a focused-ion-beam. It is found that the low-temperature conduction of these structures changes…
The effects of lithium absorption on the crystal structure and electronic properties of IrSi3, a binary silicide with a noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, were studied. X-ray and neutron diffraction experiments revealed that hexagonal…
Ferroelectrics are characterized by domain structures as are other ferroics. At the nanoscale though, ferroelectrics may exhibit non-trivial or exotic polarization configurations under proper electrostatic and elastic conditions. These…