New superconductor with a layered crystal structure: Nickel oxybismuthide LaO1−δNiBi

The results of synthesizing a new layered phase—nickel oxybismuthide LaO_1−δNiBi in a series of superconducting oxypnictides—and its properties in the superconducting and normal states are reported. Although the temperature of the transition of this phase to the superconducting state, T _c ~ 4 K, is much lower than the value T _c = 55 K reached at present in oxyarsenide SmO_1−δFeAs, the similarity of the crystal structures and ρ(T) dependencies indicates that the mechanism responsible for the appearance of the semiconducting state is the same in lanthane oxybismuthide and samarium oxyarsenide.