Observation of superconductivity in BaNb2S5

Bulk superconductivity is reported in BaNb2S5 at the transition temperature Tc = 0.85(1) K. The electrical resistivity ρ versus T is metallic with ρ(2 K) = 42.4 µΩ cm. The magnetic susceptibility is paramagnetic, with temperature-independent contributions due to diamagnetism, Pauli paramagnetism, and Van Vleck paramagnetism; a Curie-Weiss contribution appears to be impurity related. Hall effect measurements show that the majority charge carriers are electrons with charge-carrier concentration n(3 K) = 2.40(2) × 1021 cm−3. Specific heat measurements reveal an electronic specific heat coefficient γ = 11.2(1) mJ/mol K2, a Debye temperature ΘD = 126.4(8) K, and an energy gap associated with the superconducting state of Eg = 0.184(4) meV. Measurements of ρ(T) in magnetic field provide the upper critical magnetic field of about 3055(74) Oe as T →  0 K, which was used to estimate the coherence length ξ = 6.21(15) nm. The results allow classification of BaNb2S5 as a Type II, BCS superconductor in the dirty limit.