Transport properties of single crystals and polycristalline pressed samples of (BEDT-TTF)2X salts and related coordination polymers

Abstract

Ten years ago in 1979, superconductivity was observed for the first time in an organic metal. today, about 30 different organic metals are known, which become superconducting under pressure or ambient pressure. The organic superconductors with the highest transition temperatures are all radical salts of the donor bis(ethylenedithioio)-tettathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF), namely at ambient pressure (BEDT-TTF)2CU(NCS)2 (Tc = 10.4 K) and αt,-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 (Tc = 8 K) and under isotropic pressure β H- (BEDT-TTF)2I3(0.5 kbar, Tc = 7.5 K) The latter β H-phase can even become superconducting at 8 K and ambient pressure, after a special pressure-temperature cycling procedure i.e. pressurization up to 1 kbar at room temperature, and release of the helium gas pressure at temperarures below 125 K. Nevertheless, this superconducting state at 8 K in β H-(BEDT -TTF)2I3 is only metastable , since warming up the crystal above 125 K and cooling down again under ambient pressure, results only in superconductivity at 1.3 K, the so-called β L - or β-phase.