Effect of Structural Parameters on Superconductivity in Fluorine-Free LnFeAsO1-y (Ln=La,Nd)

The crystal structure of LnFeAsO$_{1-y}$ (Ln = La, Nd) has been studied by the powder neutron diffraction technique. The superconducting phase diagram of NdFeAsO$_{1-y}$ is established as a function of oxygen content which is determined by Rietveld refinement. The small As-Fe bond length suggests that As and Fe atoms are connected covalently. FeAs$_4$-tetrahedrons transform toward a regular shape with increasing oxygen deficiency. Superconducting transition temperatures seem to attain maximum values for regular FeAs$_4$-tetrahedrons

Coupling to optical phonons in the one-dimensional t-J model: Effects on superconducting fluctuations and phase separation

The one-dimensional (1D) $t$-$J$ Holstein model is studied by exact diagonalization of finite rings using a variational approximation for the phonon states. Due to renormalization effects induced by the phonons, for intermediate electron-phonon coupling, the phase separation (PS) boundary, and with it the region of dominating superconducting fluctuations is shifted substantially to smaller values of $J/t$ as compared to the pure $t$-$J$ model. Superconducting correlations are weakened through charge density wave interactions mediated by the phonons. Possible consequences for the high $T_c$ oxides are discussed.Comment: 4 pages, Latex2

Ternary erbium chromium sulfides : structural relationships and magnetic properties

Single crystals of four erbium-chromium sulfides have been grown by chemical vapor transport using iodine as the transporting agent. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that in Er(3)CrS(6) octahedral sites are occupied exclusively by Cr(3+) cations, leading to one-dimensional CrS(4)(5-) chains of edge-sharing octahedra, while in Er(2)CrS(4), Er(3+), and Cr(2+) cations occupy the available octahedral sites in an ordered manner. By contrast, in Er(6)Cr(2)S(11) and Er(4)CrS(7), Er(3+) and Cr(2+) ions are disordered over the octahedral sites. In Er(2)CrS(4), Er(6)Cr(2)S(11), and Er(4)CrS(7), the network of octahedra generates an anionic framework constructed from M(2)S(5) slabs of varying thickness, linked by one-dimensional octahedral chains. This suggests that these three phases belong to a series in which the anionic framework may be described by the general formula [M(2n+1)S(4n+3)](x-), with charge balancing provided by Er(3+) cations located in sites of high-coordination number within one-dimensional channels defined by the framework. Er(4)CrS(7), Er(6)Cr(2)S(11), and Er(2)CrS(4) may thus be considered as the n = 1, 2, and infinity members of this series. While Er(4)CrS(7) is paramagnetic, successive magnetic transitions associated with ordering of the chromium and erbium sub-lattices are observed on cooling Er(3)CrS(6) (T(C)(Cr) = 30 K; T(C)(Er) = 11 K) and Er(2)CrS(4) (T(N)(Cr) = 42 K, T(N)(Er) = 10 K) whereas Er(6)Cr(2)S(11) exhibits ordering of the chromium sub-lattice only (T(N) = 11.4 K)

An oxalate cathode for lithium ion batteries with combined cationic and polyanionic redox

Authors acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51822210), the Australian Research Council (ARC) for its support through Discover Project (DP 140100193),Shenzhen Peacock Plan (KQJSCX20170331161244761), the Program for Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Teams (No. 2017ZT07C341), and the Development and Reform Commission of Shenzhen Municipality for the development of the “Low-Dimensional Materials and Devices” discipline.The growing demand for advanced lithium-ion batteries calls for the continued development of high-performance positive electrode materials. Polyoxyanion compounds are receiving considerable interest as alternative cathodes to conventional oxides due to their advantages in cost, safety and environmental friendliness. However, polyanionic cathodes reported so far rely heavily upon transition-metal redox reactions for lithium transfer. Here we show a polyanionic insertion material, Li2Fe(C2O4)2, in which in addition to iron redox activity, the oxalate group itself also shows redox behavior enabling reversible charge/discharge and high capacity without gas evolution. The current study gives oxalate a role as a family of cathode materials and suggests a direction for the identification and design of electrode materials with polyanionic frameworks.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe