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Pressure- and composition-induced structural quantum phase transition in the cubic superconductor (Sr, Ca)3Ir4Sn13
Lina E Klintberg1, Swee K Goh, Patricia L Alireza
1Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|February 2, 2013
Summary
The superconductor Sr(3)Ir(4)Sn(13) exhibits a structural transition linked to a charge density wave. Researchers suppressed this transition to zero, enabling quantum phase transition studies in this cubic system.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Materials
Background:
- Quasi-skutterudite materials exhibit complex electronic and structural properties.
- Superconductivity and charge density waves often compete or coexist in materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural transition in Sr(3)Ir(4)Sn(13) and its relation to charge density waves.
- To explore the suppression of the superlattice transition temperature (T*) to zero using pressure.
- To study the quantum phase transition and its interplay with superconductivity in a cubic charge density wave system.
Main Methods:
- Crystallography to identify structural phases (I and I').
- Application of chemical and physical pressure to tune the superlattice transition temperature.
- Analysis of the charge density wave transition mechanism.
Main Results:
- Identified a structural transition from a simple cubic (I phase) to a superlattice variant (I' phase) in Sr(3)Ir(4)Sn(13).
- Established the link between the superlattice distortion and a charge density wave transition.
- Demonstrated the suppression of the superlattice transition temperature (T*) to zero via combined pressures.
Conclusions:
- The superlattice transition in Sr(3)Ir(4)Sn(13) is driven by a charge density wave.
- Zeroing the superlattice transition temperature allows for the study of quantum criticality.
- This work provides a platform for understanding the interplay between charge density waves, quantum phase transitions, and superconductivity.
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