$\text{Ab Initio}$ Study of Antisite Defects in Nb${}_3$Sn: Phase Diagram and Impact on Superconductivity

Abstract

Antisite defects play a critical role in Nb${}_3$Sn superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavity physics. Such defects are the primary form of disorder in Nb${}_3$Sn, and are responsible for stoichiometry variations, including experimentally observed tin-depleted regions within grains and tin-rich regions around grain boundaries. But why they cluster to form regions of different stoichiometries and how they affect the SRF properties of Nb${}_3$Sn cavities are not fully understood. Using $\text{ab initio}$ techniques, we calculate the A15 region of the Nb-Sn phase diagram, discuss a possible modification to the phase diagram near grain boundaries, and calculate $T_c$ as a function of stoichiometry, including experimentally inaccessible tin-rich stoichiometry. We find that the impact of antisite defects on the density of states near the Fermi-level of Nb${}_3$Sn plays a key role in determining many of their properties. These results improve our understanding of the obstacles facing Nb${}_3$Sn SRF systems, and how modified growth processes might overcome them.

8 pages, 11 figures