Temperature dependent local structure in Nb3Ge superconductor by high resolution Ge K-edge EXAFS measurements

Temperature dependent local structure of Nb3Ge superconductor has been studied by Ge K-edge extended x-ray-absorption fine structure measurements. Correlated Debye-Waller factor of the Ge-Nb pairs shows a clear change across the superconducting transition temperature Tc. This change appears to be similar to the one observed for the high-Tc cuprates, indicating a common cause of pairing in the short coherence length superconductors. The results suggest an intimate relation between the local atomic displacements and the short coherence superconductivity, provoking models based on local electron-lattice interaction for the high-Tc superconductivity.