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{mu}{sup +}SR studies of magnetic properties of boron carbide superconductors

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/119987· OSTI ID:119987
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
  2. Leiden Univ. (Netherlands). Kamerlingh Onnes Lab.; and others

Positive-muon spin relaxation ({mu}{sup +}SR) has been carried out in the recently-discovered rare-earth boron carbide superconductors RNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C, R = Ho, Er and Tm. For R = Ho and Er zero-field {mu}{sup +}SR measurements showed a well-defined internal field below the Neel temperatures of 5.5 K coexisting with the superconducting state down to 0.1 K. The observed temperature dependence of the order parameter for Ho is consistent with a 2-dimensional Ising model. For R = Tm a spontaneous internal field appears above 30 K, whose magnitude saturates below about 3 K at a value corresponding to a rare earth moment much smaller than for Ho and Er. Transverse-field {micro}{sup {minus}}SR measurements in R = Tm showed a superconducting penetration depth {lambda}, = 1,200 {angstrom}. The temperature dependence of {lambda} is consistent with conventional s-wave pairing.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Science Foundation, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
119987
Report Number(s):
IS-M--792; CONF-9408113--7; ON: DE96001742; CNN: NSF Grant DMR-9114911
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English