International Tables for Crystallography

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Powder diffraction of superconductors
Qingzhen Huang. International Tables for Crystallography (2019). Vol. H, ch. 7.13, pp. 868-884  [ doi:10.1107/97809553602060000987 ]

Abstract

In this chapter, the properties and structural features of superconductors and superconducting (SC) systems are briefly described. The presence of superconductivity is related closely to the structure type, chemical composition and the distribution of atoms and/or ions in a material, and is also affected by the external conditions such as temperature and pressure. These structural and chemical features and relationships between structure and superconductivity are mainly revealed using powder diffraction. X-ray powder diffraction (XPD) is the most convenient, powerful and widely used technique for determining the crystal structure and obtaining structure information because it can provide both high resolution and intensity. Neutron powder diffraction (NPD), however, complements the XPD technique with its high sensitivity to light elements and ability to differentiate between adjacent elements in the Periodic Table in cation substitutions and anion doping. Combined use of XRD and NPD is desirable and beneficial for studies of nonstoichiometric superconductors in high-Tc cuprates and Fe-based compounds with hole or electron doping introduced by chemical doping and/or substitution accompanying charge transfer and structure modification. NPD is highly advantageous for studying the competition between superconductivity and magnetic behaviour, especially in a system containing 3d transition-metal and/or 4f rare-earth magnetic elements, because it can be used to determine the long-range ordered magnetic structure and characteristics such as ordered magnetic symmetry and moments. A brief description of magnetic symmetry, symmetry operations and magnetic diffraction conditions is also given.


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About International Tables for Crystallography

International Tables for Crystallography is the definitive resource and reference work for crystallography. The multi-volume series comprises articles and tables of data relevant to crystallographic research and to applications of crystallographic methods in all sciences concerned with the structure and properties of materials.