Pressure induced effects on the Fermi surface of superconducting 2H-NbSe${}_2$

Abstract

The pressure dependence of the critical temperature $T_c$ and upper critical field $H_{c2}(T)$ has been measured up to 19 GPa in the layered superconducting material 2H-NbSe${}_2$. Relating the behavior of $H_{c2}(T)$ to Fermi surface parameters, we find that the electron phonon coupling of the 2D Nb 4d derived bands shows a peak at 5 GPa when the charge density wave (CDW) order is suppressed. On the other hand, $T_c(P)$ shows a bell shaped curve with a maximum at 10.5 GPa, well above the pressure for the suppression of the CDW order. Changes in the band structure produce this shift in the maximum of $T_c(P)$, demonstrating that 2H-NbSe${}_2$ shows important differences with respect to other compounds where $T_c$ has a maximum in the temperature-density phase diagram shaped by the suppression of another, non-superconducting, ground state.

5 pages, 4 figures. Small changes in discussion. Typos corrected