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Superconductivity in compressed iron: Role of spin fluctuations

I. I. Mazin, D. A. Papaconstantopoulos, M. J. Mehl

cond-mat.supr-conarXiv:cond-mat/0110297

Abstract

The recent discovery of superconductivity in hexagonal iron under pressure poses a question about whether it is of conventional (phonon) or unconventional (magnetic?) origin. We present first-principles calculations of the electron-phonon coupling in iron at P 15 GPa, and argue that a conventional mechanism can explain the appearance of superconductivity, but not its rapid disappearance at P 30 GPa. We suggest that spin fluctuations, ferro- and/or antiferromagnetic, play a crucial role in superconductivity in this case.

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