Superconductivity in the transition-metal series

X. Q. Hong and J. E. Hirsch, Phys. Rev. B 46, 14702 (1992)

We study the possibility of describing superconductivity in the transition-metal series within the model of hole superconductivity. The band structures for transition metals are obtained within a tight-binding scheme using the parameters calculated by Papaconstantopoulos, and a rigid-band interpolation scheme is used to describe alloys. bcc, hcp, and fcc structures are considered. Under the assumption that superconductivity originates in the band with closest holelike character to the carriers at the Fermi surface, we obtain parameters in the model that reproduce the experimental values for Tc. The absence of superconductivity at the beginning of the transition-metal series is naturally explained within this model. The possible effect of interband coupling within the model of Suhl et al. is also considered. Finally, the nature of the superconducting state and various observable properties are discussed.

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