Superconductivity on the threshold of magnetism in CePd sub 2 and CeIn sub 3

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter Vol. 13; no. 12; pp. 2845 - 2860
• Main Authors: Grosche, F M, Walker, I R, Julian, S R, Mathur, N D, Freye, D M, Steiner, M J, Lonzarich, G G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 26.03.2001
• ISSN: 0953-8984

The magnetic ordering temperature of some rare-earth-based heavy-fermion compounds is strongly pressure dependent and can be completely suppressed at a critical pressure, p sub c , making way for novel correlated electron states close to this quantum critical point. We have studied the clean heavy-fermion antiferromagnets CePd sub 2 Si sub 2 and CeIn sub 3 in a series of resistivity measurements at high pressures up to 3.2 GPa and down to temperatures in the mK region. In bothMATERIALs, superconductivity appears in a small window of a few tenths of a GPa on either side of p sub c . We present detailed measurements of the superconducting and magnetic temperature-pressure phase diagram, which indicate that superconductivity in theseMATERIALs is enhanced, rather than suppressed, by the closeness to magnetic order.