Vortex Stability and Magnetic Disorder Tolerance in Magnetic High-Entropy Alloy Superconductor NbTaTiZrNi
High-entropy alloy (HEA) superconductors offer mechanical robustness and tunable compositions. We report the synthesis and characterization of a Ni-containing HEA, NbTaTiZrNi, which exhibits superconductivity with Tc ≈ 7.1 K and weak itinerant ferromagnetism up to 300 K, with coercive fields Hcoer ≈ 100–300 Oe. While magnetic elements often suppress superconductivity via pair breaking, Tc in this Ni-containing alloy remains comparable to nonmagnetic Ta1/6Nb2/6Ti1/6Zr1/6Hf1/6 (Tc ≈ 7.8 K). Thermomagnetic flux avalanches are not observed, and critical current densities reach 104–105 A cm–2 at 2 K, indicating robust vortex stability in this composition. Electrical resistivity, magnetization, and specific-heat measurements indicate conventional s-wave superconductivity with intermediate electron–phonon coupling (λ ≈ 0.7). The observed vortex-pinning behavior is consistent with a mixed landscape of grain-boundary and point-like defects, likely influenced by configurational disorder and Ni distribution, though Fe-rich secondary phases may also contribute. These results demonstrate that this specific Ni-containing HEA exhibits robust superconductivity with flux-stable behavior, providing a platform for further exploration of high-performance superconductors in cryogenic applications.
Authors
- Heon‐Jung Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3200-405X)
- Rahmatul Hidayati (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6867-7059)
- Beongki Cho
- Jong‐Soo Rhyee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3656-2430)
- Kwan‐Young Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5637-1009)
- Jin Hee Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1856-4480)
- Jae Hyun Yun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5264-1833)
- Dilanath Adhikari
Institutions
- King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (SA)
- Kyung Hee University (KR)
- Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
- Centre of Excellence for Advanced Materials (CN)
- Advanced Energy Materials (United States) (US)
- Graduate School USA (US)
- Daegu University (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Applied Electronic Materials
- Published
- 2026-04-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.6c00009
- Primary Topic
- High Entropy Alloys Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
- National Research Foundation of Korea