The structure of intercalated water in superconducting Na$_{0.35}$CoO$_{2}cdot$1.37D$_{2}$O: Implications for the superconducting phase diagram


Abstract in English

We have used electron and neutron powder diffraction to elucidate the structural properties of superconducting NaD. Our measurements show that our superconducting sample exhbits a number of supercells ranging from ${1/3}a^{*}$ to ${1/15}a^{*}$, but the most predominant one, observed also in the neutron data, is a double hexagonal cell with dimensions dhx. Rietveld analysis reveals that deutspace is inserted between CoO$_{2}$ sheets as to form a layered network of NaO$_{6}$ triangular prisms. Our model removes the need to invoke a 5K superconducting point compound and suggests that a solid solution of Na is possible within a constant amount of water $y$.

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