Spin fluctuations and superconductivity in UPt/sub 3/ (invited)

Journal Article · Sun Apr 14 23:00:00 EST 1985 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.335211· OSTI ID:5826438

Stewart, G R

Of the three known high effective mass (''heavy fermion'') superconductors, UPt/sub 3/ has quite different properties from the rather similar CeCu/sub 2/Si/sub 2/ and UBe/sub 13/. In particular, UPt/sub 3/ has a much different temperature dependence of its resistivity below 300 K, a much lower initial slope of the superconducting critical field, H/sup prime//sub c/2(T/sub c/), a much greater dependence of the superconducting transition temperature, T/sub c/, on lattice perfection (proportional to resistivity ratio), and a much different temperature dependence of the low temperature normal state specific heat, C/sub n/. This temperature dependence of C/sub n/ in fact includes a T/sub 3/ ln T term for UPt/sub 3/, compared to approximately a T/sup -2/ dependence for UBe/sub 13/ and CeCu/sub 2/Si/sub 2/ at low temperatures. The presence of a T/sub 3/ ln T term in C/sub n/ for UPt/sub 3/, coupled with the extreme dependence of T/sub c/ on lattice perfection, has led to speculation that the pairing of the superconducting electrons in UPt/sub 3/ may not be between opposite spins, but between parallel spins, i.e., p-wave instead of s-wave pairing. Recently, further experimental and theoretical evidence has been found supporting this speculation that UPt/sub 3/ may be a p-wave superconductor. The present work surveys the properties of UPt/sub 3/, including new results on the spin fluctuation behavior in the normal state of UPt/sub 3/.

• Research Organization: Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545
• OSTI ID: 5826438
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 57:8; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
656102 -- Solid State Physics-- Superconductivity-- Acoustic
Electronic
Magnetic
Optical
& Thermal Phenomena-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
CRITICAL FIELD
EFFECTIVE MASS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
FERROMAGNETISM
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETISM
MASS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATINUM COMPOUNDS
SPIN
SPIN WAVES
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS