Magnetic superconductors: a review

The recent discovery of superconductivity in some rare earth ternary and actinide compounds has led to considerable experimental and theoretical activity in the field of magnetic superconductors. The ternary compounds ErRh sub 4 B sub 4 and HoMo sub 6 S sub 8 exhibit reentrant superconductivity. Exp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of low temperature physics 1988, Vol.70 (1-2), p.5-82
Main Authors: KAKANI, S. L, UPADHYAYA, U. N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Exact sciences and technology
Materials science
Metals, alloys and compounds (a15, 001c15, laves phases, chevrel phases, borocarbides, etc.)
Metals, semimetals and alloys
Occurrence, potential candidates
Physics
Specific materials
Superconducting materials (excluding high-tc compounds)
Superconductivity
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Summary:The recent discovery of superconductivity in some rare earth ternary and actinide compounds has led to considerable experimental and theoretical activity in the field of magnetic superconductors. The ternary compounds ErRh sub 4 B sub 4 and HoMo sub 6 S sub 8 exhibit reentrant superconductivity. Experimental results indicate that superconductivity and long-range ferromagnetic order coexist in a very narrow range of temperature in these two systems. Superconductivity and antiferromagnetic order truly coexist in several rare earth ternary compounds. The most important result is the anomalous behavior of the upper critical field in the vicinity of the Neel temperature. NdRh sub 4 B sub 4 displays two antiferromagnetic transitions below the superconducting transition. The pseudoternary series Eu sub x Sn sub 1--x Mo sub 6 S sub 8 containing small amounts of Br or Se exhibits the novel phenomenon of magnetic field-induced superconductivity. The compound Y sub 9 Co sub 7 exhibits very weak itinerant ferromagnetic superconductivity. Several Ce and uranium-based intermetallic compounds, usually known as heavy-electron metals, have been found to exhibit heavy-fermion superconductivity, characterized by a specific heat at low temperature that is two to three orders of magnitude larger than in ordinary transition metals. Several phenomenological and microscopic theories have appeared to explain the observed exciting properties of these magnetic superconductors. A brief survey of experimental and theoretical activity in this field is presented. 221 ref.--AA
ISSN:0022-2291
1573-7357
DOI:10.1007/BF00683246