# Ir d-band Derived Superconductivity in the Lanthanum-Iridium System LaIr3

## TL;DR

This paper investigates the superconducting properties of LaIr3, highlighting its BCS nature, Ir d-state dominance at the Fermi level, and the impact of strong spin-orbit coupling on its electronic structure.

## Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of LaIr3's electronic structure and superconducting parameters, emphasizing the role of Ir d-states and spin-orbit coupling.

## Key findings

- LaIr3 is a BCS-type superconductor.
- Ir d-states dominate the Fermi level.
- Strong spin-orbit coupling creates a complex Fermi surface.

## Abstract

The electronic properties of the heavy metal superconductor LaIr3 are reported. The estimated superconducting parameters obtained from physical properties measurements indicate that LaIr3 is a BCS-type superconductor. Electronic band structure calculations show that Ir d- states dominate the Fermi level. A comparison of electronic band structures of LaIr3 and LaRh3 shows that the Ir-compound has a strong spin-orbit-coupling effect, which creates a complex Fermi surface.