Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe13 and LuBe13

Kim, J. S.; Stewart, G. R.

doi:10.1016/j.physb.2022.413792

Title: Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe₁₃ and LuBe₁₃

Abstract

Uhlirova et al. reported superconductivity in LuBe₁₃ and assigned it tentatively to be BCS-type, with specific heat measurements down to 0.45 K showing the partial onset of a bulk transition. In order to check LuBe13 for unconventional behavior, as well as to further characterize the unconventional superconductivity in UBe₁₃, we have prepared and characterized down to 0.40 K three arc-melted samples each of MBe₁₃, M = Lu, U, using three different purities (99.999%, 99.96%, and 99.8%) of Be but with the same high purity M (Lu or U) for all three. The measurements down to 0.40 K allow the detection of the maximum in the specific heat in all three LuBe₁₃ samples. The resulting superconducting properties strongly depend on impurity level in UBe₁₃ (40% decrease in ΔC/T_c, 15% decrease in T_c^mid) while the three LuBe₁₃ samples exhibit significantly smaller changes (10% and 5% respectively) with purity. The comparison of properties at the first two levels of purity (99.999% vs 99.96%) is even more disparate: 12% decrease in T_c^mid in UBe₁₃ vs no change in LuBe₁₃. Furthermore, these results are consistent with previous results that argue for unconventional superconductivity in UBe₁₃ and are consistent with Uhlirova et al.‘s assignment of LuBe₁₃more »« less

Authors:

Kim, J. S. ^[1];

^[1]

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

Publication Date:: 2022-03-10

Research Org.:: Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

OSTI Identifier:: 1977547

Alternate Identifier(s):: OSTI ID: 1856050

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0020385; DE–SC–0020385

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Physica. B, Condensed Matter

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 635; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0921-4526

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; Physics; Superconductivity; Unconventional; Heavy Fermion; Impurity

Citation Formats


                    Kim, J. S., and Stewart, G. R. Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe13 and LuBe13.  United States: N. p., 2022. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.physb.2022.413792.

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                    Kim, J. S., & Stewart, G. R. Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe13 and LuBe13.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2022.413792

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                    Kim, J. S., and Stewart, G. R. Thu .  
"Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe13 and LuBe13".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physb.2022.413792.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1977547.

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@article{osti_1977547,

  title        = {Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe13 and LuBe13},

  author       = {Kim, J. S. and Stewart, G. R.},

  abstractNote = {Uhlirova et al. reported superconductivity in LuBe13 and assigned it tentatively to be BCS-type, with specific heat measurements down to 0.45 K showing the partial onset of a bulk transition. In order to check LuBe13 for unconventional behavior, as well as to further characterize the unconventional superconductivity in UBe13, we have prepared and characterized down to 0.40 K three arc-melted samples each of MBe13, M = Lu, U, using three different purities (99.999%, 99.96%, and 99.8%) of Be but with the same high purity M (Lu or U) for all three. The measurements down to 0.40 K allow the detection of the maximum in the specific heat in all three LuBe13 samples. The resulting superconducting properties strongly depend on impurity level in UBe13 (40% decrease in ΔC/Tc, 15% decrease in Tcmid) while the three LuBe13 samples exhibit significantly smaller changes (10% and 5% respectively) with purity. The comparison of properties at the first two levels of purity (99.999% vs 99.96%) is even more disparate: 12% decrease in Tcmid in UBe13 vs no change in LuBe13. Furthermore, these results are consistent with previous results that argue for unconventional superconductivity in UBe13 and are consistent with Uhlirova et al.‘s assignment of LuBe13 as a conventional, BCS superconductor. More generally, this example of comparing superconducting properties vs-controlled gradations in impurity levels with two compositionally and structurally “matched” superconducting compounds (one conventional and one of to-be-determined coupling behavior) offers a new method for determining unconventional behavior.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.physb.2022.413792},

  journal      = {Physica. B, Condensed Matter},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 635,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2022},

  month        = {3}

}

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Works referenced in this record:

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Similar Records

Title: Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe13 and LuBe13

Abstract

Citation Formats

U Be 13 : An Unconventional Actinide Superconductor journal, May 1983

Low-temperature specific heat of U 1 − x Th x Be 13 journal, January 1994

Superconductivity in single crystalline ThBe13 and LuBe13 journal, May 2018

Spin-Triplet p -Wave Superconductivity Revealed under High Pressure in UBe 13 journal, February 2019

Observation of Low-Energy Einstein Phonon and Superconductivity in Single-Crystalline LaBe 13 journal, February 2017

Observation of Negative s -Wave Proximity Effect in Superconducting U Be 13 journal, July 1986

Signature of superconductivity in U Be 13 as seen by neutron scattering: Superconducting and magnetic energy scales journal, June 2014

Tracking aluminium impurities in single crystals of the heavy-fermion superconductor UBe13 journal, July 2018

Unconventional superconductivity journal, April 2017

s-f hybridization model of UBe 13 journal, January 1985

Heavy-fermion systems journal, October 1984

Structural differences between single crystal and polycrystalline UBe 13 journal, May 2018

Title: Comparison of response of superconductivity to impurity concentration in UBe₁₃ and LuBe₁₃

U ${Be}_{13}$ : An Unconventional Actinide Superconductor
journal, May 1983

Low-temperature specific heat of $U_{1 - x}$ ${Th}_{x}$ ${Be}_{13}$
journal, January 1994

Superconductivity in single crystalline ThBe13 and LuBe13
journal, May 2018

Spin-Triplet $p$ -Wave Superconductivity Revealed under High Pressure in ${UBe}_{13}$
journal, February 2019

Observation of Low-Energy Einstein Phonon and Superconductivity in Single-Crystalline LaBe ₁₃
journal, February 2017

Observation of Negative $s$ -Wave Proximity Effect in Superconducting U ${Be}_{13}$
journal, July 1986

Signature of superconductivity in $U {Be}_{13}$ as seen by neutron scattering: Superconducting and magnetic energy scales
journal, June 2014

Tracking aluminium impurities in single crystals of the heavy-fermion superconductor UBe13
journal, July 2018

Unconventional superconductivity
journal, April 2017

s-f hybridization model of ${UBe}_{13}$
journal, January 1985

Heavy-fermion systems
journal, October 1984

Structural differences between single crystal and polycrystalline UBe ₁₃
journal, May 2018