We observe superconductivity below a critical temperature TC = 1.8 K in single-crystal Ir3Te8, which also exhibits normal-state diamagnetism and a linear temperature dependence of electrical resistivity for a wide temperature interval, 20 K < T < 700 K. Single-crystal Ir3Te8 also undergoes a structural phase transition at TS = 350 K from a cubic (above TS) to a rhombohedral lattice below TS. Our first-principles electronic structure calculations reveal two bands crossing the Fermi level; despite the three-dimensional lattice, one band is quasi-two-dimensional, and is responsible for the observed diamagnetism and structure transition. The strong non-Fermi-liquid behavior characterized by the observed linearity in resistivity in such a nonmagnetic state suggests novel physics in this newly discovered superconductor.
@article{arxiv.1301.4135,
title = {Superconductivity and Strong Non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior in Single-Crystal Ir3Te8},
author = {L. Li and T. F. Qi and L. S. Lin and X. X. Wu and X. T. Zhang and K. Butrouna and V. S. Cao and Y. H. Zhang and Jiangping Hu and P. Schlottmann and L. E. Delong and G. Cao},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1301.4135},
year = {2013}
}