Tracking aluminium impurities in single crystals of the heavy-fermion superconductor UBe13

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Alfred Amon - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Iryna Zelenina - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Paul Simon - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Matej Bobnar - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Marcel Naumann - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Eteri Svanidze - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Frank Arnold - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Horst Borrmann - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Ulrich Burkhardt - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Walter Schnelle - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Elena Hassinger - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Andreas Leithe-Jasper - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)
  • Yuri Grin - , Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids (Author)

Abstract

The influence of Al incorporation on the heavy fermion superconductor UBe13 was investigated to explain the sample dependence of physical properties. Clear evidence for incorporated Al in flux-grown UBe13 single crystals is presented by results from X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray spectroscopy. The increase of the lattice parameter and the concomitant change of the superconducting properties are caused by substitution of Be in the compound by 1-2 at.% Al. The minute amounts of Al in the structure were located by atomic resolution transmission electron microscopy. Specific heat measurements reveal the strong influence of incorporated Al on the physical properties of UBe13. Upon long-Term annealing, Al incorporated in single crystals can leave the structure, restoring properties of Al-free polycrystalline UBe13.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number10654
JournalScientific reports
Volume8
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2018
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

PubMed 30006638