A new heavy-fermion superconductor

$\ab{CeIrIn_5}$

: A relative of thecuprates?

Author： Petrovic C. Movshovich R. Jaime M. Pagliuso P. G. Hundley M. F. Sarrao J. L. Fisk Z. Thompson J. D.

Publisher： Edp Sciences

E-ISSN： 1286-4854|53|3|354-359

ISSN： 0295-5075

Source： EPL (EUROPHYSICS LETTERS), Vol.53, Iss.3, 2010-03, pp. : 354-359

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Abstract

$\ab{CeIrIn_5}$ is a member of a new family of heavy-fermion compounds and has a Sommerfeld specific-heat coefficient of $720\un{mJ/mol K^2}$. It exhibits a bulk, thermodynamic transition to a superconducting state at $T_{\abc}=0.40\un{K}$, below which the specific heat decreases as T² to a small residualT-linear value. Surprisingly, the electrical resistivity drops below instrumental resolution at a much higher temperature $T_0=1.2\un{K}$. These behaviors are highly reproducible and field-dependent studies indicate that T₀ and $T_{\ab c}$ arisefrom the same underlying electronic structure. The layered crystal structure of $\ab{CeIrIn_5}$ suggests a possible analogy to the cuprates in which spin/charge pair correlations develop well above $T_{\ab c}$.