Interplay of Local-Moment Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in ErRh$_4$B$_4$ Single Crystals

TL;DR

This study investigates the complex interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in ErRh$_4$B$_4$ single crystals, revealing asymmetric magnetic responses and orientation-dependent diamagnetic effects near phase boundaries.

Contribution

It provides detailed experimental insights into the magnetic susceptibility behavior and anisotropic diamagnetic screening in ErRh$_4$B$_4$, highlighting new phenomena at the FM-SC boundary.

Findings

Enhanced diamagnetism depends on magnetic field orientation.

Superconducting phase nucleates discontinuously upon warming.

Ferromagnetic phase develops gradually with asymmetric susceptibility.

Abstract

Tunnel-diode resonator technique was used to study crystals of ferromagnetic re-entrant superconductor, ErRh$_{4}$B$_{4}$. At the boundary between ferromagnetism (FM) and superconductivity (SC), dynamic magnetic susceptibility, $\chi(T,H)$, exhibits highly asymmetric behavior upon warming and cooling as well as enhanced diamagnetism on the SC side. SC phase nucleates upon warming in a cascade of discontinuous jumps in magnetic susceptibility $\chi(T,H)$, whereas FM phase develops gradually as reported in detail in \cite{prozorov2008}. Here we further investigate enhanced diamagnetism. We find that when a magnetic field is applied along the magnetic easy axes, a region of enhanced diamagnetic screening is smaller than in the perpendicular orientation. A discussion of possible causes of this effect is provided.