Abstract
We have investigated the low temperature properties of LuB12 by measuring its magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity, as well as by point-contact spectroscopy using both the spear-anvil type technique and mechanically controllable break junctions. Our specific heat measurements and point - contact spectroscopy results indicate that LuB12 is a simple weak-coupling BCS-type superconductor with TC ≈ 0.4 K, a superconducting energy gap of 2 Δ ≈ 0.12 meV, and a very small critical field BC ≈ 1 mT. From the dU/dI(U) characteristics in the superconducting state, the energy gap 2Δ, the critical current IC and the Andreev-reflection excess current Iex as a function of normal-state point contact resistance RN have been determined. At low RN all three parameters are strongly suppressed, possibly due to the self-magnetic field. At contacts with large RN the model of resistively and capacitively shunted Josephson junctions (RCSJ) allowed us to estimate the superconducting current plasma frequency and the Josephson coupling energy. Moreover, from the d2U/d I2(U) spectra in the normal state the (point-contact) electron-phonon interaction function and the characteristic phonon energies of LuB12 have been determined.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
J. Etourneau P. Hagenmuller (1985) Phil. Mag. 52 589
M. Kasaya F. Iga M. Takigawa T. Kasuya (1985) J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 47 IssueID-48 429 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-8853(85)90458-5
I. Bat’ko M. Bat’kovà K. Flachbart V.B. Filipov Yu.B. Paderno N.Yu. Shitsevalova Th. Wagner (1995) J. Alloys Comp 217 L1 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0925-8388(94)01351-9
S. Gabàni I. Bat’ko K. Flachbart T. Herrmannsdörfer R. König Y. Paderno N. Shitsevalova (1999) J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 207 131 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0304-8853(99)00458-8
H. Bergman (ed.), Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry. Compounds with Boron, System 39, Springer, Berlin, (1990) Vol. C11a
Spear K.E., in V. I. Matkovich (ed.), Boron and Refractory Borides, Springer, Berlin, (1977) p. 439
H. Harima A. Yanase T. Kasuya (1985) J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 47–48 567 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-8853(85)90496-2
M. Heinecke K. Winzer J. Noffke H. Kranefeld H. Grieb K. Flachbart Yu.B. Paderno (1995) Z. Phys. B 98 231 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF01324529
N. Okuda T. Suzuki I. Ishii S. Hiura F. Iga T. Takabatake T. Fujita H. Kadomatsu H. Harima (2000) Physica B 281 IssueID282 756
F. Iga M. Kasaya T. Kasuya (1988) J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 76 IssueID77 156 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-8853(88)90349-6
A. Czopnik N. Shitsevalova A. Krivchikov V. Pluzhnikov Y. Paderno Y. Onuki (2004) Solid State Chem. 177 507 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.jssc.2003.04.003
S. Kimura H. Okamura T. Nanba M. Ikezawa S. Kunii F. Iga N. Shimizu T. Takabatake (1999) J. Electr. Spectr. Rel. Phenom. 101–103 76
Paderno Y., Filipov V., Shitsevalova N., in Boron-Rich Solids, AIP Conf. Proc., D Emin T. L. Aselage et al. (eds.), Albuquerque (1991) p. 460 Vol. 230
R.W. Willekers H.C. Meijer F. Mathu H. Postma (1991) Cryogenics 31 168 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0011-2275(91)90172-S
P. Samuely M. Reiffers K. Flachbart A.I. Akimenko I.K. Yanson N.M. Ponomarenko Yu.B. Paderno (1988) J. Low Temp. Phys. 71 49 Occurrence Handle10.1007/BF00115040
K. Gloos F. Anders (1999) J. Low Temp. Phys. 116 21 Occurrence Handle10.1023/A:1021874709355
F. Bouquet R.A. Fisher N.E. Phillips D.G. Hinks J.D. Jorgensen (2001) Phys. Rev Lett. 87 047001 Occurrence Handle10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.047001 Occurrence Handle11461636
P. Samuely Z. Hol’anovà P. Szabó J. Kačmar?ć?k R.A. Ribeiro S.L. Bud’ko P.C Canfield (2003) Phys. Rev. B 68 020505 Occurrence Handle10.1103/PhysRevB.68.020505
Z. Hol’anovà P. Szabó P. Samuely R.H.T. Wilke S.L. Bud’ko P.C. Canfield (2003) Phys. Rev. B 70 064520
D.J. Howarth E.H. Sondheimer (1953) Proc. Roy. Soc. A 219 53
Yu.G. Naidyuk I.K. Yanson (1998) J. Phys. Condens. Matter 10 8905 Occurrence Handle10.1088/0953-8984/10/40/001
H. Harima N. Kobayashi K. Takegahara T. Kasuya (1985) J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 52 367 Occurrence Handle10.1016/0304-8853(85)90305-1
I.O. Kulik A.N. Omel’yanchuk (1975) JETP Lett. 21 96
E.D. McCumber (1968) J. Appl. Phys. 39 3113 Occurrence Handle10.1063/1.1656743
W.C. Stewart (1968) Appl. Phys. Lett. 12 277 Occurrence Handle10.1063/1.1651991
A.G.M. Jansen A.P. Gelder Particlevan P. Wyder (1980) J. Phys. C. 13 6073
A. Bouvet T. Kasuya M. Bonnet L.P. Regnault J. Rossad-Mignod F. Iga B. Fak A. Severing (1998) J. Phys. Condens. Matter. 10 5667 Occurrence Handle10.1088/0953-8984/10/25/016
Nemkovski K.S., Alekseev P.A., J.-Mignot M., and Tiden N.N., Phys. Stat. Sol. (c) 1, 3093 (2004)
A. Hasegawa A. Yanase (1977) J. Phys. F 7 1245 Occurrence Handle10.1088/0305-4608/7/7/023
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Flachbart, K., Gabáni, S., Gloos, K. et al. Low Temperature Properties and Superconductivity of LuB12. J Low Temp Phys 140, 339–353 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-005-7320-7
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-005-7320-7