Niobium-germanium
Encyclopedia
Niobium-germanium is a metal
lic chemical compound
of niobium
(Nb) and germanium
(Ge). It has A15 phase
structure.
It is a superconductor with a critical temperature of 23.2 kelvin
(K).
Spluttered films have been reported to have an upper critical field
of 37 teslas at 4.2 K.
superconductors) it held the record as having the highest critical temperature.
It has not been as widely used for superconductive applications as niobium-tin
or niobium-titanium
.
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
lic chemical compound
Chemical compound
A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...
of niobium
Niobium
Niobium or columbium , is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41. It's a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite...
(Nb) and germanium
Germanium
Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is a lustrous, hard, grayish-white metalloid in the carbon group, chemically similar to its group neighbors tin and silicon. The isolated element is a semiconductor, with an appearance most similar to elemental silicon....
(Ge). It has A15 phase
A15 phases
The A15 phases are series of intermetallic compounds with the chemical formula A3B and a specific structure...
structure.
It is a superconductor with a critical temperature of 23.2 kelvin
Kelvin
The kelvin is a unit of measurement for temperature. It is one of the seven base units in the International System of Units and is assigned the unit symbol K. The Kelvin scale is an absolute, thermodynamic temperature scale using as its null point absolute zero, the temperature at which all...
(K).
Spluttered films have been reported to have an upper critical field
Upper critical field
-Upper critical field:The upper critical field is the magnetic field which completely suppresses superconductivity in a Type II superconductor at 0K ....
of 37 teslas at 4.2 K.
History
Nb3Ge was discovered to be a superconductor in 1971 and for 15 years (until the discovery in 1986 of the cuprateCuprate
Cuprates are chemical compounds containing copper anion. Cuprates have been known for centuries and are widely used in inorganic and organic chemistry...
superconductors) it held the record as having the highest critical temperature.
It has not been as widely used for superconductive applications as niobium-tin
Niobium-tin
Niobium-tin or triniobium-tin is a metallic chemical compound of niobium and tin , used industrially as a type II superconductor. This intermetallic compoundis a A15 phases superconductor...
or niobium-titanium
Niobium-titanium
Niobium-titanium is an alloy of niobium and titanium, used industrially as a type II superconductor wire for superconducting magnets...
.