Effect of chemical and physical pressure on the superconducting properties of LaZn2-xSn2

ORAL

Abstract

The new series of rare earth intermetallic compounds with composition RZn2-xSn2 has been recently discovered for the light lanthanides (R=La,Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm). Their crystal structure is a derivative of the CaBe2Ge2-type (tP10, P4/nmm). Single crystal structural refinements revealed defects and disorder in the structure of these compounds, with Zn-site vacancies and mixed Zn/Sn atomic occupations leading to a stoichiometry of ≈ RZn1.5Sn2. Physical property measurements have shown appearance of superconductivity for the La homologue, with Tc ≈ 5.5 K. This observation is unexpected in heavily disordered phases. In present work we have investigated the effect of chemical pressure brought about by atomic substitution of Zn and Sn with other properly chosen elements (Mg, Cu and Cd for Zn and In, Ge and Pb for Sn). The results will be discussed and compared with the effects of physical pressure on the superconducting properties of this material. LaZn1.5Sn2 represents a pristine compound for a new series of superconducting materials.
Research at Ames Laboratory is supported by the Office of the Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences & Engineering Division of the US Department of Energy. Ames Laboratory is operated for the US DOE by Iowa State University under Contract DE-AC02-07CH11358.

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Presenters

  • Alessia Provino

    Institute SPIN-CNR

Authors

  • Alessia Provino

    Institute SPIN-CNR

  • Arjun Pathak

    Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Iowa State University, Materials Sceince and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, Ames Laboratory

  • Vitalij Pecharsky

    Iowa State University, Ames Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Materials Sceince and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Ames Laboratory, Ames Laboratory

  • Marina Putti

    Department of Physics, University of Genova

  • Carlo Ferdeghini

    Institute SPIN-CNR

  • Volodymyr Smetana

    Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University

  • Anja Mudring

    Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University

  • Pietro Manfrinetti

    Department of Chemistry, University of Genova