Superconductivity and single crystal growth of Ni0.05TaS2

Abstract Superconductivity was discovered in a Ni 0.05 TaS 2 single crystal. A Ni 0.05 TaS 2 single crystal was successfully grown via the NaCl/KCl flux method. The obtained lattice constant c of Ni 0.05 TaS 2 is 1.1999 nm, which is significantly smaller than that of 2H–TaS 2 (1.208 nm). Electrical resistivity and magnetization measurements reveal that the superconductivity transition temperature of Ni 0.05 TaS 2 is enhanced from 0.8 K (2H–TaS 2 ) to 3.9 K. The charge-density-wave transition of the matrix compound 2H–TaS 2 is suppressed in Ni 0.05 TaS 2 . The success of Ni 0.05 TaS 2 single crystal growth via a NaCl/KCl flux demonstrates that NaCl/KCl flux method will be a feasible method for single crystal growth of the layered transition metal dichalcogenides.