Superconductivity in Y-Ni-B base compounds

• Published in: Physica. C, Superconductivity Superconductivity, 1994-06, Vol.227 (1), p.85-94
• Main Authors: Hong, N.M., Michor, H., Vybornov, M., Holubar, T., Hundegger, P., Perthold, W., Hilscher, G., Rogl, P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; General properties; correlations between physical properties in normal and superconducting states; Metals, alloys and compounds (a15, 001c15, laves phases, chevrel phases, borocarbides, etc.); Metals. Metallurgy; Metals; alloys and binary compounds (including A15, Laves phases, etc.); Physics; Properties of type I and type II superconductors; Superconducting materials (excluding high-tc compounds); Superconductivity
• ISSN: 0921-4534; 1873-2143
• DOI: 10.1016/0921-4534(94)90360-3

Carbon introduced in Y-Ni-B ternary alloy material was shown to stabilise aquaternary compound YNi 2B 2C which is also responsible for the appearance of superconductivity in Y-Ni-B alloys YNi 4− x B 1+ x . Rietveld refinement of a nearly single-phase material of YNi 2B 2C confirmed isotypism with the filled ThCr 2Si 2-type ( z B =0.353(1)). Magnetic and specific heat measurements indicate type-II superconductivity in YNi 2B 2C with a T c-onset of 15.2 K and a normalised specific heat discontinuity ΔC/ γT c =1.57. We present a first estimate of the upper critical field μ 0 H c2 (0)=3.7 T, the coherence length ξ GL =9.4 nm and the Ginzburg-Landau parameter κ=10.5 of this new compound.