Robust superconductivity and the suppression of charge-density wave in the...

Single crystals of the quasi-skutterudite compounds Ca₃(Ir_1-xRh_x)₄Sn₁₃(3-4-13) were synthesized by flux growth and characterized by x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, magnetization, resistivity, and radio frequency magnetic susceptibility techniques. The coexistence and competition between the charge density wave (CDW) and superconductivity was studied by varying the Rh/Ir ratio. The superconducting transition temperature,Tc, varies from 7 K in pure Ir (x = 0) to 8.3 K in pure Rh (x = 1). Temperature-dependent electrical resistivity reveals monotonic suppression of the CDW transition temperature,T_CDW(x). The CDW starts in pure Ir,x = 0, atT_CDW≈ 40 K and extrapolates roughly linearly to zero atxc≈0.53-0.58 under the superconducting dome. Magnetization and transport measurements show a significant influence of CDW on superconducting and normal states. Meissner expulsion is substantially reduced in the CDW region, indicating competition between the CDW and superconductivity. The low-temperature resistivity is higher in the CDW part of the phase diagram, consistent with the reduced density of states due to CDW gapping. Its temperature dependence just aboveTcshows signs of non-Fermi liquid behavior in a cone-like composition pattern. We conclude that the Ca₃(Ir_1-xRh_x)₄Sn₁₃alloy is a good candidate for a composition-driven quantum critical point at ambient pressure.