A New Noncentrosymmetric Superconducting Phase in the Li-Rh-B System

作者：Takeya Hiroyuki^*; Fujii Hiroki; ElMassalami Mohammed; Chaves Francisco; Ooi Shuuichi; Mochiku Takashi; Takano Yoshihiko; Hirata Kazuto; Togano Kazumasa

来源：Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 2011, 80(1): 013702.

DOI：10.1143/JPSJ.80.013702

• superconductor
• noncentrosymmetry
• lithium
• rhodium boride

Superconductivity, at 2-3 K, was observed in a novel phase of the ternary Li-Rh-B system. The structural phase exhibits a large noncentrosymmetric cubic unit cell with the a-parameter being within 1.208 <= a <= 1.215 nm. This phase is stable over a wider compositional range of LixRhBy (0.6 < x < 2, 1 < y < 2). The superconductivity, as well as the unit cell volume, is sensitive to the Li/B content but it is manifested with T-c >= 1.8 K over a wider compositional range: the highest T-c similar or equal to 3 K occurs for x : y approximate to 0.9 : 1.5 with a similar or equal to 1.209 nm. The superconducting shielding fraction of most samples is almost 80% of that of Sn. The lower critical field, H-c1(0), is similar to 65 Oe while the upper one, H-c2(0) is determined from extrapolation to be higher than 14 kOe. We discuss the influence of pressure on T-c and also the influence of the lack of inversion symmetry on the superconducting properties.

• 出版日期2011-1