Effects of pressure on superconducting properties of simple metals

Abstract

First principles studies of the superconducting behaviour under pressure of the simple metals Al and Pb have been made. Good agreement is obtained with the experimental volume derivative of the transition temperature in Al and, for higher compressions, upward deviations are predicted to occur from the linear relationship with volume observed at low pressures. In Pb, the relative rates of decrease under pressure of T_c, Δ₀, and 2Δ₀/κ_BT₀ show the same trends as experiment, while in Al the ratio 2Δ₀/κT_c is found not to vary significantly with compression.