We report on the preparation and the physical properties of superconducting (TaNb) 1− (ZrHfTi) high-entropy alloy films. The films were prepared by means of magnetron sputtering at room temperature, with ranging from 0 to 1 with an average thickness of 600 -950 nm. All films crystallize in a pseudo body-centered cubic (BCC) structure. For samples with < 0.65, the normal-state properties are metallic, while for ≥ 0.65 the films are weakly insulating. The transition from metallic to weakly insulating occurs right at the near-equimolar stoichiometry. We find all films, except for = 0 or 1, to become superconducting at low temperatures, and we interpret their superconducting properties within the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) framework. The highest transition temperature Tc = 6.9 K of the solid solution is observed for ~0.43. The highest upper-critical field Bc2(0) = 11.05 T is found for the near-equimolar ratio ~0.65, where the mixing entropy is the largest. The superconducting parameters derived for all the films from transport measurements are found to be close to those that are reported for amorphous superconductors. Our results indicate that these films of high-entropy alloys are promising candidates for superconducting device fabrication.
Above a critical temperature, high‐performance fibers may lose their mechanical properties resulting in catastrophic events of damage when, e.g., used as load‐carrying ropes. Here, a method to functionalize polymer fibers with thermochromic optical coatings that enable signaling of damaging thermal history is introduced. These smart coatings are comprised of an index‐tunable anti‐reflection coating based on chalcogenide phase change materials (PCM). It is demonstrated that the insulator−metal phase transition of these materials can be aligned with the critical deterioration temperature of both polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monofilaments and liquid‐crystal polyester (LCP) yarns by composition tuning. The carefully designed optical system amplifies the change in optical properties of its constituents upon phase change. The thermal and mechanical degradation of these fibers can thus be monitored and displayed by eye.
Controlling anisotropy in self-assembled structures enables engineering of materials with highly directional response. Here, we harness the anisotropic growth of ice walls in a thermal gradient to assemble an anisotropic refractory metal structure, which is then infiltrated with Cu to make a composite. Using experiments and simulations, we demonstrate on the specific example of tungsten-copper composites the effect of anisotropy on the electrical and mechanical properties. The measured strength and resistivity are compared to isotropic tungsten-copper composites fabricated by standard powder metallurgical methods. Our results have the potential to fuel the development of more efficient materials, used in electrical power grids and solar-thermal energy conversion systems. The method presented here can be used with a variety of refractory metals and ceramics, which fosters the opportunity to design and functionalize a vast class of new anisotropic load-bearing hybrid metal composites with highly directional properties.
Native cation vacancies in Si-doped AlGaN studied by monoenergetic positron beams J. Appl. Phys. 111, 013512 (2012); 10.1063/1.3675270 Vacancy-oxygen complexes and their optical properties in AlN epitaxial films studied by positron annihilation Identification of vacancy-oxygen complexes in oxygen-implanted silicon probed with slow positrons
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