Electronic and structural properties of La3Ni2B2N3

Superconductivity in LaT(M)BN and La3T(M2)B2N3 (T(M) = transition metal) synthesized under high pressure

Various layered boronitrides (LaN)(n)(T(M2)B(2)) (T(M) = transition metal; n = 2, 3) have been prepared using a high-pressure synthesis technique in which an inverse α-PbO-type T(M2)B(2) layer is separated by two or three rock salt-type LaN layers and these layers are connected through linear (BN) units. The electronic states of the distinguishing (BN) unit and intermediate rock salt-type LaN layer are discussed on the basis of density functional theory calculations. Bulk superconductivity has been found in LaNiBN (T(c) ≈ 4.1 K), CaNiBN (T(c) ≈ 2.2 K), and LaPtBN (T(c) ≈ 6.7 K), where the Fermi level E(F) is located in the bands composed of the T(M)(d)-B(2p) antibonding state and the main T(M)(d) band resides well below E(F). The non-superconductive T(M)-based compounds exhibit Pauli paramagnetic behavior, in which the highly itinerant nature of the electrons caused by strong T(M)(d)-B(2p) covalent bonding suppresses the long-range magnetic ordering.