Aligned carbon nanotubes sandwiched in epitaxial NbC film for enhanced superconductivity

Y. Y. ZHANG; F. RONNING; K. GOFRYK; N. A. MARA; N. HABERKORN; G. ZOU; H. WANG; J. H. LEE; E. BAUER; T. M. MCCLESKEY; A. K. BURRELL; L. CIVALE; Y. T. ZHU ; Q. X. JIA

Nanoscale

Royal Society of Chemistry

Año: 2012 p. 1 - 4

2040-3364

We demonstrated the integration of highly aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) ribbons with epitaxial NbC films. The formation of NbC/CNT composites enhanced the normal-state conductivity along the CNT axial direction and improved the superconducting transition temperature of the assembly. The upper critical field of NbC/CNT suggested that the inclusion of CNTs in the NbC matrix reduced the coherence length of the NbC. Nanomechanical testing also demonstrated the potential for enhanced fracture toughness of NbC/CNT composites.