29 research outputs found
Intrinsic Josephson Effects in the Magnetic Superconductor RuSr2GdCu2O8
We have measured interlayer current transport in small sized RuSr2GdCu2O8
single crystals. We find a clear intrinsic Josephson effect showing that the
material acts as a natural
superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet-insulator-superconductor superlattice. So
far, we detected no unconventional behavior due to the magnetism of the RuO2
layers.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. Let
Muon-spin rotation measurements of the penetration depth of the Mo_3Sb_7 superconductor
Measurements of the magnetic field penetration depth \lambda in
superconductor Mo_3Sb_7 (T_c~2.1 K) were carried out by means of
muon-spin-rotation. The absolute values of \lambda, the Ginzburg-Landau
parameter \kappa, the first H_{c1} and the second H_{c2} critical fields at T=0
are \lambda(0)=720(100)nm, \kappa(0)=55(9), \mu_0H_{c1}(0)=1.8(3)mT, and
\mu_0H_{c2}(0)=1.9(2)T. The zero temperature value of the superconducting
energy gap \Delta(0) was found to be 0.35(1)meV corresponding to the ratio
2\Delta(0)/k_BT_c=3.83(10). At low temperatures \lambda^{-2}(T) saturates and
becomes constant below T~0.3T_c, in agreement with what is expected for s-wave
BCS superconductors. Our results suggest that Mo_3Sb_7 is a BCS superconductor
with the isotropic energy gapComment: 5 pages, 4 figure
Comment on ``Muon-spin rotation studies of the superconducting properties of Mo_3Sb_7'', Phys.Rev.B 78, 172505 (2008)
In a recent article Tran et al. [Phys. Rev.B 78, 172505 (2008)] report on the
result of the muon-spin rotation (\muSR) measurements of Mo_3Sb_7
superconductor. Based on the analysis of the temperature and the magnetic field
dependence of the Gaussian relaxation rate \sigma_{sc} they suggest that
Mo_3Sb_7 is the superconductor with two isotropic s-wave like gaps. An
additional confirmation was obtained from the specific heat data published
earlier by partly the same group of authors in [Acta Mater. 56, 5694 (2008)].
The purpose of this Comment is to point out that from the analysis made by Tran
et al. the presence of two superconducting energy gaps in Mo_3Sb_7 can not be
justified. The analysis of \muSR data does not account for the reduction of
\sigma_{sc} with increasing temperature, and, hence, yields inaccurate
information on the magnetic penetration depth. The specific heat data can be
satisfactory described within the framework of the one-gap model with the small
residual specific heat component. The experimental data of Tran et al., as well
as our earlier published \muSR data [Phys. Rev. B 78, 014502 (2008)] all seem
to be consistent with is the presence of single isotropic superconducting
energy gap in Mo_3Sb_7.Comment: Comment on Phys.Rev.B 78, 172505 (2008
Structural analysis, magnetic and transport properties of the (Ru1-xCox)Sr2GdCu2O8 system
The effects of Co substitution on structural and superconducting properties
of RuSr2GdCu2O8 compound have been studied. Rietveld refinements of the X-ray
diffraction patterns indicate that the cobalt ion progressively replaces
ruthenium sites. This replacement induces significant changes on the crystal
structure and on the magnetic and superconducting properties. The effects Co
substitution on the superconducting behaviour, and more particulary on the
changes induce by the hole doping mechanism, were investigated in
(Ru1-xCox)Sr2GdCu2O8 by a "bond valence sum" analysis with Co content from x=
0.0 to x = 0.2. The weak ferromagnetic transition at Tm= 138.2 K is shifted to
lower temperature, and suppressed at higher Co content. From the
crystallographic point of view the Ru-O(1)-Cu bond angle, associated to the
rotation of the RuO6 octahedra, around the c-axis remain essetially constant
when Ru is substituted by Co. Furthermore, increasing Co content has the effect
to increase the weak ferromagnetic moment, which may be interpreted as the main
responsible for breaking the delicate balance between magnetic and
superconducting ordering.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figure
Superconducting properties of RuSr2GdCu2O8 studied by SQUID magnetometry
For polycrystalline RuSr2GdCu2O8 (Ru-1212), distinct peaks have been reported
in d.c. magnetization in the superconducting state of the sample. Sr2GdRuO6
(Sr-2116), the precursor for the preparation of Ru-1212, shows similar peaks in
the same temperature regime. Based on measurements performed on both bulk and
powdered samples of Ru-1212 and Sr-2116, we exclude the possibility, that the
observed behavior of the magnetization of Ru-1212 is due to Sr-2116 impurities.
The effect is related to the superconductivity of Ru-1212, but it is not an
intrinsic property of this compound. We provide evidence that the observation
of magnetization peaks in the superconducting state of Ru-1212 is due to flux
motion generated by the movement of the sample in an inhomogeneous field,
during the measurement in the SQUID magnetometer. We propose several tests,
that help to decide, whether the features observed in a SQUID magnetization
measurement of Ru-1212 represent a property of the compound or not.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure
The Superconductivity, Intragrain Penetration Depth and Meissner Effect of RuSr2(Gd,Ce)2Cu2O10+delta
The hole concentration (p)(delta), the transition temperature Tc, the
intragrain penetration depth lambda, and the Meissner effect were measured for
annealed RuSr2(Gd,Ce)2Cu2O10+delta samples. The intragrain superconducting
transition temperature Tc} varied from 17 to 40 K while the p changed by only
0.03 holes/CuO2. The intragrain superfluid-density 1/lambda^2 and the
diamagnetic drop of the field-cooled magnetization across Tc (the Meissner
effect), however, increased more than 10 times. All of these findings are in
disagreement with both the Tc vs. p and the Tc vs. 1/lambda^2 correlations
proposed for homogeneous cuprates, but are in line with a possible
phase-separation and the granularity associated with it.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B (May 2,
2002
Study of the crystal structure, superconducting and magnetic properties of Ru1-xFexSr2GdCu2O8
Samples of the Ru1-xFexSr2GdCu2O8 system with x = 0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1
and 0.2, were prepared and their structural, superconducting and magnetic
properties were studied. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction patterns
show that the Fe substitution occurs in both Ru and Cu sites. An increase of Fe
concentration produces no significant changes in the bond angle Ru-O(3)-Ru,
which is a measure of the rotation of the RuO6 octahedra around the c-axis, and
also in the bond angle Ru-O(1)-Cu, which is a measure of the canting of the
RuO6 octahedra. On the other hand, the bond angle Cu-O(2)-Cu, which is a
measure of the buckling of the CuO2 layer, has a slight tendency to decrease
with the increase of the Fe content. We found thet both ferromagnetic and
superconducting transition temperatures are reduced with the increase of Fe
concentration. Analisys related to the decay of the superconducting and
ferromagnetic states is presented.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure