Superconductivity in the Metal Rich Li-Pd-B Ternary Boride

Superconductivity at about 8K was observed in the metal-rich Li-Pd-B ternary system. Structural, microstructural, electrical, and magnetic investigations for various compositions proved that the Li₂Pd₃B compound, which has an antiperovskite cubic structure composed of distorted Pd₆B octahedrons, is responsible for the superconductivity. This is the first observation of superconductivity in metal-rich ternary borides containing alkaline metal and Pd as a late transition metal. The compound prepared by arc melting has a high density and is relatively stable in the air. The upper critical fields H_c2(0) estimated by linear extrapolation and the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg theory are 6.2 and 4.8T, respectively.