Non-Centrosymmetric Heavy-Fermion Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper reviews the physical properties and superconducting behaviors of non-centrosymmetric heavy-fermion compounds, highlighting their unique magnetic and electrical characteristics, phase diagrams, and pairing mechanisms.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive comparison of six related compounds, detailing their structures, magnetic orders, and superconducting properties, which advances understanding of non-centrosymmetric heavy-fermion superconductors.

Findings

CePt3Si is a key example with unique superconducting pairing.

All compounds exhibit pressure-induced superconductivity.

Distinct magnetic and electrical behaviors among the compounds.

Abstract

In this chapter we discuss the physical properties of a particular family of non-centrosymmetric superconductors belonging to the class heavy-fermion compounds. This group includes the ferromagnet UIr and the antiferromagnets CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, CeCoGe3, CeIrGe3 and CePt3Si, of which all but CePt3Si become superconducting only under pressure. Each of these superconductors has intriguing and interesting properties. We first analyze CePt3Si, then review CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, CeCoGe3 and CeIrGe3, which are very similar to each other in their magnetic and electrical properties, and finally discuss UIr. For each material we discuss the crystal structure, magnetic order, occurrence of superconductivity, phase diagram, characteristic parameters, superconducting properties and pairing states. We present an overview of the similarities and differences between all these six compounds at the end.