MgPd$_2$Sb -- the first Mg-based Heusler-type superconductor
Abstract
We report the synthesis and physical properties of a full Heusler compound, MgPdSb, which we found to show superconductivity below = 2.2 K. MgPdSb was obtained by a two-step solid-state reaction method and its purity and cubic crystal structure (Fm-3m, a=6.4523(1) \r{A}) were confirmed by powder x-ray diffraction. Normal and superconducting states were studied by electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and heat capacity measurements. The results show that MgPdSb is a type-II, weak coupling superconductor ( = 0.53). The observed pressure dependence of ( -0.23 K/GPa) is one of the strongest reported for a superconducting Heusler compound. The electronic structure, phonons, and electron-phonon coupling in MgPdSb were theoretically investigated. The obtained results are in agreement with the experiment, confirming the electron-phonon coupling mechanism of superconductivity. We compare the superconducting parameters tothose of all reported Heusler-type superconductors.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2106.01133,
title = {MgPd$_2$Sb -- the first Mg-based Heusler-type superconductor},
author = {Michal J. Winiarski and Gabriel Kuderowicz and Karolina Górnicka and Leszek S. Litzbarski and Kamila Stolecka and Bartłomiej Wiendlocha and Robert J. Cava and Tomasz Klimczuk},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2106.01133},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
20 pages, 11 figures