Effect of Ni, Fe Intercalation on the Superconducting Properties of ZrTe3

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that Ni intercalation in ZrTe3 enhances its superconducting transition temperature to 5.2 K, while Fe intercalation suppresses superconductivity and induces magnetic order, highlighting the impact of intercalation on electronic properties.

Contribution

It reveals how Ni and Fe intercalation differently affect the superconducting and magnetic properties of ZrTe3, with Ni enhancing and Fe suppressing superconductivity.

Findings

Ni intercalation raises Tc to 5.2 K in ZrTe3.

Fe intercalation destroys superconductivity and induces magnetic order.

Polycrystalline strains contribute to Tc enhancement in Ni-intercalated ZrTe3.

Abstract

We report the superconductivity at enhanced temperature of 5.2 K in the polycrystalline sample of ZrTe3 and Ni intercalated ZrTe3. ZrTe3 is a Charge Density Wave (T = 63K) compound, which is known to superconduct only below 2K in single crystalline form. We discuss that the intergrain strains in the polycrystalline samples induces an intrinsic pressure and thus enhances the transition temperature. Fe intercalation of ZrTe3 kills both the charge density wave and superconducting states, gives rise to the magnetic ordering in the compound.