Evaluation of insulating behavior by Pb Substitution and Pressure-Induced Superconductivity in La2O2Bi3-xPb1+xS6

Abstract

We report synthesis, characterization, and physical properties of layered bismuth-sulfide compounds La2O2Bi3-xPb1+xS6. We synthesized a new La2O2Bi3PbS6 compound, whose crystal structure is similar to those of the La2O2Bi3AgS6 superconductor or La2O2Bi2Pb2S6 (insulator) with a four-layer-type conducting layer. The crystal structure of La2O2Bi3PbS6 is characterized in a tetragonal P4/nmm space group, and the lattice parameters are a = 4.084(1) Å and c = 19.71(2) Å. The obtained La2O2Bi3PbS6 sample exhibits narrow gap semiconductor (metallic-like) transport behavior with an anomaly near the 160 K. A metallic-like to insulator transition has been observed through Pb substitution, with increasing x in La2O2Bi3-xPb1+xS6. Furthermore, we applied external pressure for x = 0 and observed pressure-induced superconductivity. The onset of superconductivity appeared at 0.93 GPa, and the highest transition temperature was 3.1 K at 2.21 GPa.

10 pages, 8 figures, accepted in Superconductor Science and Technology

References in corpus (14)

• Superconductivity Appears in the Vicinity of an Insulating-Like Behavior in CeO${}_{1-x}$F${}_x$BiS${}_2$
• Superconductivity of F-substituted LnOBiS2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Yb) compounds
• Ferroelectric Soft Phonons, Charge Density Wave Instability and Strong Electron-Phonon Coupling in BiS2-Layered Superconductors
• Superconductivity induced by La doping in Sr1-xLaxFBiS2 system
• Pressure Study of BiS2-Based Superconductors Bi4O4S3 and La(O,F)BiS2
• Charge-density wave, superconductivity and $f$-electron valence instability in EuBiS${}_2$F
• Enhancement of thermoelectric properties by Se substitution in layered bismuth-chalcogenide LaOBiS2-xSex
• Appearance of bulk Superconductivity under Hydrostatic Pressure in Sr0.5RE0.5FBiS2 (RE = Ce, Nd, Pr and Sm) compounds
• Effect of high pressure annealing on the normal state transport of LaO0.5F0.5BiS2
• Crystal structure, site selectivity, and electronic structure of layered chalcogenide LaOBiPbS3
• Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Physical Properties of New Layered Oxychalcogenide La2O2Bi3AgS6
• High-pressure effects on superconducting properties and crystal structure of Bi-based layered superconductor La2O2Bi3Ag0.6Sn0.4S6
• Pressure tuning of localization and superconductivity in LaOPbBiS${}_3$ and La${}_2$O${}_2$Bi${}_3$AgS${}_6$
• Pressure-induced enhancement of the superconducting transition temperature in La2O2Bi3AgS6