Superconductivity at 5.2 K in ZrTe3 polycrystals and the effect of Cu, Ag intercalation

TL;DR

This study reports superconductivity at 5.2 K in polycrystalline ZrTe3, with charge density wave coexistence and suppression of CDW by Cu and Ag intercalation, providing insights into the interplay between superconductivity and CDW.

Contribution

It demonstrates superconductivity in ZrTe3 polycrystals at ambient pressure and analyzes how intercalation affects CDW and electronic properties.

Findings

Superconductivity at 5.2 K in ZrTe3 polycrystals.

Charge density wave coexists with superconductivity.

Intercalation suppresses CDW without changing T_c.

Abstract

We report the occurrence of superconductivity in polycrystalline samples of ZrTe3 at 5.2 K temperature at ambient pressure. The superconducting state coexists with the charge density wave (CDW) phase, which sets in at 63K. The intercalation of Cu or Ag, does not have any bearing on the superconducting transition temperature but suppresses the CDW state. The feature of CDW anomaly in these compounds is clearly seen in the DC magnetization data. Resistivity data is analysed to estimate the relative loss of carriers and reduction in the nested Fermi surface area upon CDW formation in the ZrTe3 and the intercalated compounds.