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Pressure-induced superconductivity in quasi-2D CeRhIn5
Hegger1, Petrovic, Moshopoulou
1Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|September 16, 2000
Summary
Researchers discovered that applying pressure to the heavy-electron material CeRhIn5 causes a transition from an antiferromagnetic state to a superconducting state. This new understanding of CeRhIn5
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- CeRhIn5 exhibits a quasi-2D layered structure, with alternating CeIn3 and RhIn2 layers along the tetragonal c axis.
- It is classified as a novel heavy-electron material, a class known for complex electronic behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the electronic and magnetic properties of CeRhIn5.
- To understand the phase transitions induced by pressure in this quasi-2D heavy fermion system.
Main Methods:
- Crystallographic analysis to understand the layered structure.
- Application of hydrostatic pressure.
- Measurement of magnetic and superconducting properties under pressure.
Main Results:
- Hydrostatic pressure induces a first-order-like phase transition in CeRhIn5.
- The transition shifts the material from an unconventional antiferromagnetic state to a superconducting state.
- Superconductivity was observed with a critical temperature (Tc) of 2.1 K.
Conclusions:
- Pressure is a key parameter in tuning the electronic and magnetic ground states of CeRhIn5.
- The observed transition highlights the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity in heavy-electron materials.
- CeRhIn5 presents a promising platform for studying pressure-induced quantum phase transitions.
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