Correlation between the transition temperature and the superfluid density in BCS superconductor NbB_2+x

Abstract

The results of the muon-spin rotation experiments on BCS superconductors NbB_2+x (x = 0.2, 0.34) are reported. Both samples, studied in the present work, exhibit rather broad transitions to the superconducting state, suggesting a distribution of the volume fractions with different transition temperatures (T_c)'s. By taking these distributions into account, the dependence of the inverse squared zero-temperature magnetic penetration depth (λ_0^{-2}) on T_c was reconstructed for temperatures in the range 1.5K<T_c<8.0K. λ_0^{-2} was found to obey the power law dependence λ_0^{-2}\propto T_c^{3.1(1)} which appears to be common for some families of BCS superconductors as, {\it e.g.}, Al doped MgB_2 and high-temperature cuprate superconductors as underdoped YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-δ}.

9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B