Superconducting properties ofRh9In4S4single crystals

Abstract

The synthesis and crystallographic, thermodynamic and transport properties of single crystalline Rh9In4S4 were studied. The resistivity, magnetization and specific heat measurements all clearly indicate bulk superconductivity with a critical temperature, Tc ∼ 2.25 K. The Sommerfeld coefficient γ and the Debye temperature(ΘD) were found to be 34 mJ mol −1 K −2 and 217 K respectively. The observed specific heat jump, ∆C/γTc = 1.66, is larger than the expected BCS weak coupling value of 1.43. Ginzburg-Landau (GL) ratio of the low temperature GL-penetration depth, λGL≈ 5750Å, to the GL-coherence length, ξGL≈ 94Å, is large: κ ∼ 60. Furthermore, we observed a peak effect in the resistivity measurement as a function of both temperature and magnetic field.

London penetration depth at zero temperature and near the superconducting transition

“…Another example is Rh 9 In 4 S 4 with T c = 2.25 K, dH c2 /dT = −1.69 × 10 4 G/K, γ = 34 × 10 4 erg/mol K 2 = 0.21×10 4 erg/cm 3 K 2 , and λ GL = 575 nm. 9 The ratio of zero-T BCS coherence length to the mean-free path for the sample studied was ξ 0 / ∼ 20 − 200, i.e., it is the dirty limit. From Eq.…”

New materials physics

“…In the case of Rh we were able to grow one of the few known superconducting minerals: miassite, Rh 17 S 15 . We could, of course, then use these transition metal-rich binary melts as the staging point for exploration for compounds [43,44]; for example we were able to grow Rh 9 In 4 S 4 , Bi 2 Rh 3.5 S 2 and Bi 2 Rh 3 S 2 and study superconductivity as well as it competition with structural phase transitions [126,127].…”

Superconductivity in Hexagonal BaPtAs: SrPtSb- and YPtAs-type Structures with Ordered Honeycomb Network

“…This is called the "peak effect" and is observed in some type-II superconductors. 23) The underlying mechanism is not yet fully understood. Figure 4 presents the temperature dependence of specific heat for the YPtAs-type BaPtAs.…”