An investigation of type-I superconductivity in single crystal of Pb2Pd

TL;DR

This study thoroughly investigates the superconducting properties of Pb₂Pd single crystals, confirming it as a type-I superconductor with moderate coupling and an isotropic superconducting gap, using multiple experimental techniques.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive characterization of Pb₂Pd's superconductivity, establishing its type-I nature and detailed thermodynamic and magnetic properties.

Findings

Pb₂Pd has a superconducting transition at 3.0 K.

It exhibits an isotropic superconducting gap consistent with BCS theory.

Pb₂Pd is classified as a moderately coupled, type-I superconductor.

Abstract

We have investigated the superconducting properties in a single crystal of a new superconductor Pb$_{2}$Pd via various techniques including magnetization, AC transport, transverse field muon spin rotation and relaxation (TF-$\mu$SR), and heat capacity. Pb$_{2}$Pd crystallizes in a body-centred tetragonal structure with space group I4/$mcm$. All measurements confirm the superconducting transition temperature, T$_{C}$ = 3.0 $\pm$ 0.1 K. Electronic specific heat data are well described by the BCS fitting, suggesting that Pb$_{2}$Pd opens an isotropic gap on entering the superconducting state. The specific heat jump and $\lambda_{e-ph}$ value categorize Pb$_{2}$Pd as a moderately coupled superconductor. Magnetization and transverse field muon spin rotation measurements along with Ginzburg-Landau parameter, $\kappa$ < 1/$\sqrt{2}$ strongly infers that Pb$_{2}$Pd is a type I superconductor.