Issues »  Volume 11, Issue 4

Zirconium Dodecaboride as the First Superconductor with the Improved Near-Surface Characteristics

M. A. Belogolovs’ky$^{1}$, V. G. But’ko$^{1}$, A. P. Shapovalov$^{2}$, V. E. Shaternyk$^{3}$

$^1$Donetsk Institute for Physics and Engineering Named after O.O. Galkin, NAS of Ukraine, 72 R. Luxembourg Str., 83114 Donetsk, Ukraine
$^2$V. Bakul Institute for Superhard Materials, NAS of Ukraine, 2 Avtozavods’ka Str., UA-04074 Kyiv, Ukraine
$^3$G.V. Kurdyumov Institute for Metal Physics, NAS of Ukraine, 36 Academician Vernadsky Blvd., UA-03142 Kyiv, Ukraine

Received: 05.10.2010. Download: PDF

An overview of experimental results and theoretical calculations for zirconium dodecaboride single-crystal electronic characteristics is given. As shown, the ZrB$_{12}$ belongs to a class of partially covalent compounds of transition metals with light elements where the presence of boron directional covalent bonds is responsible for high mechanical hardness whereas metallic, and, hence, superconducting properties are formed by $d$-states of zirconium hybridized with $2p$-orbitals of boron. Analysis of experimental data obtained for ZrB$_{12}$ and YB$_{6}$ in different laboratories and with different techniques shows that, in contrast to yttrium hexaboride, zirconium dodecaboride is the first known superconductor with an enhanced near-surface order parameter. Qualitative explanation of the effect is presented and based on the Phillips theory of percolative superconductivity.

Keywords: zirconium dodecaboride, electron structure, superconductivity, electron–phonon interaction, surface characteristics.

PACS: 61.50.Lt, 71.15.Mb, 71.15.Nc, 71.20.Be, 74.10.+v, 74.20.-z, 74.70.Ad

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/ufm.11.04.509

Citation: M. A. Belogolovs’ky, V. G. But’ko, A. P. Shapovalov, and V. E. Shaternyk, Zirconium Dodecaboride as the First Superconductor with the Improved Near-Surface Characteristics, Usp. Fiz. Met., 11, No. 4: 509—524 (2010) (in Russian), doi: 10.15407/ufm.11.04.509

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