Anisotropic, multiband, and strong-coupling superconductivity of the Pb_0.64⁢Bi_0.36 alloy

This paper presents theoretical and experimental studies on the superconductivity of Pb_⁢0.64⁢Bi_0.36 alloy, which is a prototype of strongly coupled superconductors and exhibits one of the strongest coupling under ambient pressure among the materials studied so far. The critical temperature, the specific heat in the superconducting state, and the magnetic critical fields are experimentally determined. Deviations from the single-gap s-wave BCS-like behavior are observed. The electronic structure, phonons, and electron-phonon interactions are analyzed in relation to the metallic Pb, explaining why the Pb-Bi alloy exhibits such a large value of the electron-phonon coupling parameter λ ≃ 2. Superconductivity is studied using the isotropic Eliashberg formalism as well as the anisotropic density functional theory for superconductors. Here, we find that while Pb is a two-gap superconductor with well-defined separate superconducting gaps, in the Pb-Bi alloy an overlapped three-gap-like structure is formed with a strong anisotropy. Furthermore, the chemical disorder, inherent to this alloy, leads to strong electron scattering, which is found to reduce the critical temperature.. Authors: Gutowska, Sylwia [University of Vienna (Austria); AGH University of Krakow (Poland)] (ORCID:0000000266021950); Górnicka, Karolina [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Gdansk University of Technology (Poland)]; Wójcik, Paweł [AGH University of Krakow (Poland)] (ORCID:0000000247711905); Klimczuk, Tomasz [Gdansk University of Technology (Poland)]; Wiendlocha, Bartlomiej [AGH University of Krakow (Poland)] (ORCID:0000000195367216). DOE Contract: AC05-00OR22725. Subjects: 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY