Aurivillius Phases: A Possible New Class of Metal Oxide Superconductors

Aurivillius phases (type 1) should be very similar electronically to copper–oxide superconductors when the transition metal M in 1 has a dl or d3 configuration instead of a do configuration. Such materials might exhibit superconductivity. This result, obtained by calculation, should stimulate further experiments in the area of oxidic high- Tc superconductors. ABn−1MnO3n−1 1 A= Bi2O2; B=electropositive metal; M=early transition metal; O=oxygen; n=number of octahedral layers per perovskite block.