Observation of Superconductivity in a Cu-Rich High-Entropy Alloy

Abstract

A Cu-rich multielement alloy containing Zn, Sn, Ag, and Au was synthesized and studied to explore its structural and physical properties. The alloy was prepared by vacuum-sealed melting of high-purity elements followed by rapid quenching in cold water. Powder X-ray diffraction confirms that the alloy crystallizes in a face-centered cubic (fcc) Cu-type structure. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) mapping show uniform distribution of all constituent elements. Magnetic measurements indicate the appearance of a superconducting transition at low temperature, while electrical resistivity remains metallic without reaching zero resistance. This difference between magnetic and transport behaviour suggests that the superconducting state may be limited to local or partial regions within the sample. These findings indicate that the Cu-rich multielement alloy exhibits unusual low-temperature properties and may represent a new class of compositionally complex Cu-based materials with superconducting characteristics.