Competitive coexistence of superconductivity with antiferromagnetism in CeRhIn5

We carried out ac magnetic susceptibility measurements under pressures P on the heavy fermion antiferromagnet CeRhIn5. We report bulk superconductivity (SC) at ambient pressure with a transition temperature Tc approximately or equal to 90 mK. The degraded SC in a powdered or polished sample was restored by annealing, showing that the SC state is sensitive to inhomogeneity. In a coexistence region of the SC with antiferromagnetism (AF), we find that Tc(P)(n)TN(P)(1-n) = const where TN indicates a Néel temperature and n denotes a ratio of electronic specific heat coefficients below and above TN, indicating the competition of the SC and the AF for states at the Fermi surface.     

Coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity near the quantum criticality of the heavy-fermion compound CeRhIn5

We report a study on the interplay between antiferromagnetism (AFM) and superconductivity (SC) in a heavy-fermion compound CeRhIn5 under pressure P=1.75 GPa. The onset of the magnetic order is evidenced from a clear split of 115In nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrum due to the spontaneous internal field below the Néel temperature T(N)=2.5 K. Simultaneously, bulk SC below T(c)=2.0 K is demonstrated by the observation of the Meissner diamagnetism signal whose size is the same as in the exclusively superconducting phase. These results indicate that the AFM coexists homogeneously with the SC at a microscopic level.     

Superconductivity and magnetic order in CeRhIn5: spectra of coexistence

We discuss the fixed-point Hamiltonian and the spectrum of excitations of a quasi-bidimensional electronic system supporting simultaneously antiferromagnetic ordering and superconductivity. The coexistence of these two order parameters in a single phase is possible because the magnetic order is linked to the formation of a metallic spin density wave, and its order parameter is not associated to a spectral gap but to an energy shift of the paramagnetic bands. This peculiarity entails several distinct features in the phase diagram and the spectral properties of the model, which may have been observed in CeRhIn5. Apart from the coexistence, we find an abrupt suppression of the spin density wave when the superconducting and magnetic ordering temperatures are equal. The divergence of the cyclotron mass extracted from de Haas-van Alphen experiments is also analyzed in the same framework.     

Appearance of anisotropic non s-wave superconductivity above the critical pressure of antiferromagnetic CeRhIn5

We have carried out ¹¹⁵In nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements in CeRhIn₅. At ambient pressure, CeRhIn₅ undergoes an antiferromagnetic AF phase transition at K. The ¹¹⁵In NQR spectrum has shown the appearance of a small internal field in the direction perpendicular to the tetragonal c-axis. With application of a hydrostatic pressure, the AF state is suppressed and the superconductivity appears just above the critical pressure (P = 17 kbar). The nuclear spin lattice relaxation rate 1/T₁ of ¹¹⁵In measured at P = 27 kbar indicates the occurrence of the superconductivity in the nearly AF region. In the superconducting state, 1/T₁ has no Hebel-Slichter coherence peak just below of 2 K and has a power law T-dependence (T³) down to 300 mK. This is consistent with anisotropic superconductivity, with line nodes in the superconducting energy gap: non-s-wave superconductivity occurs in CeRhIn₅. Received 5 July 2000     

On the implementation of the coexistence phase of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in heavy-fermion intermetallides

The region of the state diagram in which the pressure-induced quantum phase transition occurs with the destruction of the antiferromagnetic ordering and the appearance of the superconductivity has been described within the periodic Anderson model. It has been shown that a microscopically homogeneous coexistence phase of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity is implemented in the vicinity of the critical point, which was experimentally found in the heavy-fermion compound CeRhIn₅. In this region, the pressure increase is accompanied by the experimentally observed strong growth of the effective fermion mass.     

Topology of the Fermi surface and the coexistence of orbital antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in cuprates

It has been shown that the strong coupling model taking into account a rise in the spin antiferromagnetic insulating state explains the doping dependence of the topology and shape of the Fermi contour of superconducting cuprates. Hole pockets with shadow bands in the second Brillouin zone form the Fermi contour with perfect ordinary and mirror nesting, which ensures the coexistence of orbital antiferromagnetism and superconductivity with a large pair momentum for T < T_C. The weak pseudogap region (T_* < T < T*) corresponds to the orbital antiferromagnetic ordering, which coexists with the incoherent state of superconducting pairs with large momenta in the strong pseudogap region (T_C < T < T_*).     

Anomalous properties and coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity near a quantum critical point in rare-earth intermetallides

Mechanisms of the appearance of anomalous properties experimentally observed at the transition through the quantum critical point in rare-earth intermetallides have been studied. Quantum phase transitions are induced by the external pressure and are manifested as the destruction of the long-range antiferromagnetic order at zero temperature. The suppression of the long-range order is accompanied by an increase in the area of the Fermi surface, and the effective electron mass is strongly renormalized near the quantum critical point. It has been shown that such a renormalization is due to the reconstruction of the quasiparticle band, which is responsible for the formation of heavy fermions. It has been established that these features hold when the coexistence phase of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity is implemented near the quantum critical point.     

Phase transition in In3Sb5O12 by NQR of 115In nuclei

Results of investigations of In₃Sb₅O₁₂ crystals by means of the ¹¹⁵In NQR method in the temperature range 77–500 K are presented. The quadrupole coupling parameters for two structurally inequivalent centres are equal: e²Qq = 228 MHz and 213 MHz and η = 0.46 and 0.475, respectively. It is shown that a first order structural phase transition takes place at a temperature of T₂ = 165 K.     

A neutron diffraction study of the coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in GdMo6S8

The present neutron diffraction study confirms that GdMo₆S₈ orders antiferromagnetically in the superconducting state at a Néel temperature T_N = 0.84 K. Previous neutron scattering studies have demonstrated the coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in two other rare earth ternary compounds, DyMo₆S₈ and TbMo₆S₆.     

Symmetry properties of the phase of coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in 2D systems with strong electron correlations

Using the diagram technique for Hubbard operators, the effect of quasi-two-dimensionality and hybridization of the 4f electrons of cerium ions and p electrons of indium ions on the properties of the antiferromagnetic, superconducting, and mixed phases in heavy-fermion intermetallic compounds of cerium is studied. It is shown that taking into account quasi-two-dimensionality, low-energy hybridization processes renormalize the antiferromagnetic and superconducting order parameters in the broken time-reversal symmetry phase. Estimates of the critical temperatures of antiferromagnetic ordering and Cooper instability, obtained by the developed approach, are in good agreement with experimental data for cerium-based intermetallic compounds.     

Evolution of paramagnetic quasiparticle excitations emerged in the high-field superconducting phase of CeCoIn5

We present (115)In NMR measurements in a novel thermodynamic phase of CeCoIn(5) in a high magnetic field, where exotic superconductivity exists with the incommensurate spin-density wave order. We show that the NMR spectra in this phase provide direct evidence for the emergence of the spatially distributed normal quasiparticle regions. The quantitative analysis for the field evolution of the paramagnetic magnetization and newly emerged low-energy quasiparticle density of states is consistent with the nodal plane formation, which is characterized by an order parameter in the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The NMR spectra also suggest that the spatially uniform spin-density wave is induced in the FFLO phase.     

Microscopic coexistence of antiferromagnetism and superconductivity in hole-doped Iron-pnictides Ba0.77K0.23Fe2As2 revealed by NMR

We have performed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements on an underdoped single-crystal Ba_0.77K_0.23Fe₂As₂ with T _c?=?16.5 K. Below T _N?= 46 K, an internal magnetic field splits the NMR peaks of H?∥?c and shifts those of H?∥?a to higher frequencies. The nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T ₁ measured at the central peak with H?∥?a shows a distinct decrease below T _c(μ ₀ H?=?12 T)?= 16 K. Our results clearly show that antiferromagnetic order and superconductivity coexist at a microscopical length scale.     

Possible coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order in NdPt2B2C

Coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order has been one of the exciting aspects of the quaternary borocarbide superconductors, So far, RNi₂B₂C (R=Tm, Er, Ho and Dy) are the only known magnetic superconductors in this family. Here, we present our resistivity, magnetization and heat capacity studies on NdPt₂B₂C (nominal composition, NdPt_1.5Au_0.6B₂C and NdPt_2.1B_2.4C_1.2). We find superconductivity in both samples with T _c,onset ∼ 3 K. Bulk magnetic order is found to occur below 1.7 K. We suggest that NdPt₂B₂C is a possible magnetic superconductor.     

Unique spin dynamics and unconventional superconductivity in the layered heavy fermion compound CeIrIn5: NQR evidence

We report measurements of the 115In nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate ( 1/T1) between T = 0.09 and 100 K in the new heavy fermion (HF) compound CeIrIn5. At 0.4 < or = T< or = 100 K, 1/T1 is strongly T-dependent, which indicates that CeIrIn5 is much more itinerant than known Ce-based HFs. We find that 1/T1T, subtracting that for LaIrIn5, follows a (1 / T+straight theta)3/4 variation with straight theta = 8 K. We argue that this novel feature points to anisotropic, due to a layered crystal structure, spin fluctuations near a magnetic ordering. The bulk superconductivity sets in at 0.40 K below which the coherence peak is absent and 1/T1 follows a T3 variation, which suggests unconventional superconductivity with line-node gap.     

Crossover and coexistence of quasiparticle excitations in the fractional quantum hall regime at nu < or =1/3

New low-lying excitations are observed by inelastic light scattering at filling factors nu=p/(phip+/-1) of the fractional quantum Hall regime with phi=4. Coexisting with these modes throughout the range nu < or =1/3 are phi=2 excitations seen at 1/3. Both phi=2 and phi=4 excitations have distinct behaviors with temperature and filling factor. The abrupt first appearance of the new modes in the low-energy excitation spectrum at nu > or near 1/3 suggests a marked change in the quantum ground state on crossing the phi=2-->phi=4 boundary at nu=1/3.     

Anomalies in transport properties of EuO under hydrostatic pressure due to bound magnetic polaron

Resistivity vs hydrostatic pressure has been measured at room temperature for several EuO samples which span a large range of resistivity. We show that the pressure coefficient of activation energy of resistivity β = KT (d log ?/d p) varies continuously with room temperature resistivity. The samples which present an insulator-metal Transition have unusual values of β. We relate these values to the presence of bound magnetic polaron or molecular bound magnetic polaron.