203 research outputs found
Superconductivity in heavy fermion compounds
We review the current state of experimental and theoretical investigations of
heavy fermion superconductors. We discuss most of the Ce-based compounds like
Ce122, Ce115, Ce218 and Ce131 classes and U-based superconductors like UBe_13
and UPd_2Al_3. In the former the emphasis is on the connection to quantum
critical phenomena and non-Fermi liquid behaviour. Recent neutron scattering
and hydrostatic pressure results on SDW/SC competition in the Ce122 system are
included. For the U-compounds we discuss the significance of dual models with
both localised and itinerant 5f electrons for mass enhancement and
superconducting pair formation. Itinerant spin fluctuation theories for
unconventional superconductivity are also reviewed.Comment: 74 pages, 29 figures. For a version of the manuscript including
higher-resolution figures, see http://www.cpfs.mpg.de/~thalm/SCMaterials.pd
Field-induced suppression of the heavy-fermion state in YbRh_2Si_2
We report DC magnetization measurements on YbRh_2Si_2 at temperatures down to
0.04K, magnetic fields B<11.5T and under hydrostatic pressure P<1.3GPa. At
ambient pressure a kink at B*=9.9T indicates a new type of field-induced
transition from an itinerant to a localized 4f-state. This transition is
different from the metamagnetic transition observed in other heavy fermion
compounds, as here ferromagnetic rather than antiferromagnetic correlations
dominate below B*. Hydrostatic pressure experiments reveal a clear
correspondence of B* to the characteristic spin fluctuation temperature
determined from specific heat
Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the ambient pressure superconductor CePt_3Si
We studied the evolution of superconductivity (sc) and antiferromagnetism
(afm) in the heavy fermion compound CePt_3Si with hydrostatic pressure. We
present a pressure-temperature phase diagram established by electrical
transport measurements. Pressure shifts the superconducting transition
temperature, T_c, to lower temperatures. Antiferromagnetism is suppressed at a
critical pressure P_c=0.5 GPa.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figures, proceedings SCES'0
Pressure-induced change of the pairing symmetry in superconducting CeCu2Si2
Low-temperature (T) heat-capacity measurements under hydrostatic pressure of
up to p=2.1 GPa have been performed on single-crystalline CeCu2Si2. A broad
superconducting (SC) region exists in the T-p phase diagram. In the
low-pressure region antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations and in the
high-pressure region valence fluctuations had previously been proposed to
mediate Cooper pairing. We could identify these two distinct SC regions. We
found different thermodynamic properties of the SC phase in both regions,
supporting the proposal that different mechanisms might be implied in the
formation of superconductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Non-Fermi liquid states in the pressurized system: two critical points
In the archetypal strongly correlated electron superconductor CeCuSi
and its Ge-substituted alloys CeCu(SiGe) two quantum
phase transitions -- one magnetic and one of so far unknown origin -- can be
crossed as a function of pressure \cite{Yuan 2003a}. We examine the associated
anomalous normal state by detailed measurements of the low temperature
resistivity () power law exponent . At the lower critical point
(at , ) depends strongly on Ge
concentration and thereby on disorder level, consistent with a
Hlubina-Rice-Rosch scenario of critical scattering off antiferromagnetic
fluctuations. By contrast, is independent of at the upper quantum
phase transition (at , ), suggesting critical
scattering from local or Q=0 modes, in agreement with a density/valence
fluctuation approach.Comment: 4 pages, including 4 figures. New results added. Significant changes
on the text and Fig.
Specific heat at the transition in a superconductor with fluctuating magnetic moments
In the heavy-fermion materials CeCoIn and UBe, the superconducting
order parameter is coupled to flucutating magnetization of the uncompensated
part of the localized -moments. We find that this coupling decreases the
superconducting transition temperature and increases the jump of the
specific-heat coefficient, which indicates entropy transfer from the magnetic
to the superconducting degree of freedom at the transition temperature. Below
the transition, we find that the magnetic fluctuations are suppressed. We
discuss the relation of our results to experiments on CeCoIn under
pressure.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur
Tuning Heavy Fermion Systems into Quantum Criticality by Magnetic Field
We discuss a series of thermodynamic, magnetic and electrical transport
experiments on the two heavy fermion compounds CeNi2Ge2 and YbRh2Si2 in which
magnetic fields, B, are used to tune the systems from a Non-Fermi liquid (NFL)
into a field-induced FL state. Upon approaching the quantum-critical points
from the FL side by reducing B we analyze the heavy quasiparticle (QP) mass and
QP-QP scattering cross sections. For CeNi2Ge2 the observed behavior agrees well
with the predictions of the spin-density wave (SDW) scenario for
three-dimensional (3D) critical spin-fluctuations. By contrast, the observed
singularity in YbRh2Si2 cannot be explained by the itinerant SDW theory for
neither 3D nor 2D critical spinfluctuations. Furthermore, we investigate the
magnetization M(B) at high magnetic fields. For CeNi2Ge2 a metamagnetic
transition is observed at 43 T, whereas for YbRh2Si2 a kink-like anomaly occurs
at 10 T in M vs B (applied along the easy basal plane) above which the heavy
fermion state is completely suppressed.Comment: 15 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Journal of Low Temperature Physics,
special Series on "High Magnetic Field Facilities
Response of the Heavy-Fermion Superconductor CeCoIn to Pressure: Roles of Dimensionality and Proximity to a Quantum-Critical Point
We report measurements of the pressure-dependent superconducting transition
temperature and electrical resistivity of the heavy-fermion compound
CeCoIn. Pressure moves CeCoIn away from its proximity to a
quantum-critical point at atmospheric pressure. Experimental results are
qualitatively consistent with theoretical predictions for strong-coupled,
d-wave superconductivity in an anisotropic 3D superconductor.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
High Pressure Study on MgB2
The hydrostatic pressure effect on the newly discovered superconductor MgB2
has been determined. The transition temperature Tc was found to decrease
linearly at a large rate of -1.6 K/GPa, in good quantitative agreement with the
ensuing calculated value of -1.4 K/GPa within the BCS framework by Loa and
Syassen, using the full-potential linearlized augmented plane-wave method. The
relative pressure coefficient, dlnTc/dp, for MgB2 also falls between the known
values for conventional sp- and d-superconductors. The observation, therefore,
suggests that electron-phonon interaction plays a significant role in the
superconductivity of the compound.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; submitted to Physical Review B (February 14,
2001; revised March 21, 2001); minor modifications, including a discussion of
the preprint by Vogt et a
Evidence for unconventional superconducting fluctuations in heavy-fermion compound CeNi2Ge2
We present evidence for unconventional superconducting fluctuations in a
heavy-fermion compound CeNiGe. The temperature dependence of the
Ge nuclear-spin-lattice-relaxation rate indicates the
development of magnetic correlations and the formation of a Fermi-liquid state
at temperatures lower than K, where is constant. The
resistance and measured on an as-grown sample decrease below K and K, respectively; these
are indicative of the onset of superconductivity. However, after annealing the
sample to improve its quality, these superconducting signatures disappear.
These results are consistent with the emergence of unconventional
superconducting fluctuations in close proximity to a quantum critical point
from the superconducting to the normal phase in CeNiGe.Comment: 4pages,5figures,to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jp
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