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Pressure-induced superconductor-insulator transition in the spinel compound CuRh2S4
1Department of Quantum Matter, ADSM, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8530, Japan. showa@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
Physical Review Letters
|August 26, 2003
Summary
We found that applying pressure to copper rhodium disulfide (CuRh2S4) causes it to transition from a superconductor to an insulator. Superconductivity is enhanced up to 4.0 GPa before disappearing entirely.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Copper rhodium disulfide (CuRh2S4) is a material exhibiting complex electronic properties.
- Understanding the behavior of materials under extreme conditions, such as high pressure, is crucial for discovering new physical phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of quasihydrostatic pressure on the electronic properties of CuRh2S4.
- To determine the pressure-induced phase transitions in CuRh2S4, specifically the superconductor-insulator transition.
Main Methods:
- Resistivity measurements were conducted on CuRh2S4 samples.
- Quasihydrostatic pressure was applied, reaching up to 8.0 GPa.
Main Results:
- A pressure-induced superconductor-insulator transition was observed in CuRh2S4.
- The superconducting transition temperature (T(c)) initially increased from 4.7 K to a maximum of 6.4 K at 4.0 GPa.
- Superconductivity vanished abruptly at a critical pressure (P(SI)) between 5.0 and 5.6 GPa, with the material becoming insulating.
Conclusions:
- CuRh2S4 undergoes a distinct superconductor-insulator transition under applied pressure.
- The observed transition highlights the sensitivity of CuRh2S4's electronic state to pressure, offering insights into electron correlations and phase transitions in materials.
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