Thermodynamic Studies on Non Centrosymmetric Superconductors by AC Calorimetry under High Pressures

TL;DR

This study uses ac calorimetry under high pressures to explore the phase diagrams of non-centrosymmetric superconductors CePt$_3$Si and UIr, revealing unique pressure-dependent magnetic and superconducting transitions.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed pressure phase diagrams for CePt$_3$Si and UIr using ac calorimetry, highlighting their distinct magnetic and superconducting behaviors.

Findings

CePt$_3$Si's Néel temperature decreases to zero at 0.6 GPa.

Superconductivity in CePt$_3$Si persists up to 1.5 GPa.

UIr exhibits anomalies at multiple pressures correlating with ferromagnetic phases.

Abstract

We investigated the non centrosymmetric superconductors CePt$_3$Si and UIr by the ac heat capacity measurement under pressures. We determined the pressure phase diagrams of these compounds. In CePt$_3$Si, the N\'{e}el temperature $T_{\rm N}$ = 2.2 K decreases with increasing pressure and becomes zero at the critical pressure $P_{\rm AF}$ $\simeq$ 0.6 GPa. On the other hand, the superconducting phase exists in a wider pressure region from ambient pressure to $P_{\rm AF}$ $\simeq$ 1.5 GPa. The phase diagram of CePt$_3$Si is very unique and has never been reported before for other heavy fermion superconductors. In UIr, the heat capacity shows an anomaly at the Curie temperature $T_{\rm C1}$ = 46 K at ambient pressure, and the heat capacity anomaly shifts to lower temperatures with increasing pressure. The present pressure dependence of $T_{\rm C1}$ was consistent with the previous studies by the resistivity and magnetization measurements. Previous ac magnetic susceptibility and resistivity measurements suggested the existence of three ferromagnetic phases, FM1-3. $C_{\rm ac}$ shows a bending structure at 1.98, 2.21, and 2.40 GPa .The temperatures where these anomalies are observed are close to the phase boundary of the FM3 phase.