Point-contact (PC) spectroscopy measurements of YNi2B2C single crystals in the normal and superconducting (SC) state (T c ≃ 15.4 K) for the main crystallographic directions are reported. The PC study reveals the electron–phonon interaction (EPI) spectral function with dominant phonon maximum around 12 meV and further weak structures (hump or kink) at higher energy at about 50 meV. No “soft” modes below 12 meV are resolved in the normal state. The PC EPI spectra are qualitatively similar for the different directions. Contrary, directional study of the SC gap results in Δ{[100] ≈ 1.5 meV for the a direction and Δ{[001] ≈ 2.3 meV along the c axis; however the critical temperature T c in PC in all cases is near to that in the bulk sample. The value 2Δ[001]/k B T c ≈ 3.6 is close to the BCS value of 3.52, and the temperature dependence Δ[001](T) is BCS-like, while the for small gap Δ[100](T) is below BCS behavior at T > T c /2 similarly as in the two-gap superconductor MgB2. It is supposed that the directional variation Δ can be attributed to a multiband nature of the SC state in YNi2B2C.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cava R.J., Takagi H., Zandbergen H.W., Krajewski J.J., Peck Jr. W.F., Siegrist T., Batlogg B., van Dover R.B., Felder R.J., Mizuhashi K., Lee J.O., Eisaki H., Uchida S., (1994) Nature 367: 252
Nagarajan R., Mazumdar C., Hossain Z., Dhar S.K., Gopalakrisnan K.V., Gupta L.C., Godart C., Padalia B.D., Vijayaraghavan R. (1994) Phys. Rev. Lett. 72: 274
Müller K.-H., Narozhnyi V. N. (2001) Rep. Prog. Phys. 64: 943
Müller K.-H., G. Fuchs, Drechsler S.-L., and Narozhnyi V. N., in Magnetic and Superconducting Properties of Rare Earth Borocarbides of the Type RNi 2 B 2 C, Handbook of Magnetic Materials, K. H. J. Buschow, ed., Elsevier North-Holland, (2002), Vol. 14, pp. 199–305.
Drechsler S.-L., S. V. Shulga, Müller K.-H., G. Fuchs, J. Freudenberger, G. Behr, H. Eschrig, L. Schultz, M. S. Golden, H. von Lips, J. Fink, Narozhnyi V. N., H. Rosner, P. Zahn, A. Gladun, D. Lipp, A. Kreyssig, M. Loewenhaupt, K. Koepernik, K. Winzer, and K. Krug, Physica C 317–318, 117 (1999).
Maki K., Thalmeier P., Won H. (2002) Phys. Rev. B 65: 140502
Izawa K., Kamata K., Nakajima Y., Matsuda Y., Watanabe T., Nohara M., Takagi H., Thalmeier P., Maki K. (2002) Phys. Rev. Lett. 89: 137006
Park T., Chia E.E.M., Salamon M.B., Bauer E.D., Vekhter I., Thompson J.D., Choi E.M., Kim H.J., Lee S.-I., Canfield P.C., (2004) Phys. Rev. Lett. 92:237002
Martinez-Samper P., Suderow H., Vieira S., Brison J.P., Luchier N., Lejay P., Canfield P.C. (2003) Phys. Rev. B 67: 014526
Raychaudhuri P., Jaiswal-Nagar D., Goutam Sheet, Ramakrishnan S., Takeya H. (2004) Phys. Rev. Lett. 93: 156802
Mukhopadhyay S., Goutam Sheet, Raychaudhuri P., Takeya H. (2005) Phys. Rev. B 72: 014545
Bashlakov D.L., Naidyuk Yu.G., Yanson I.K., Wimbush S.C., Holzapfel B., Fuchs G., Drechsler S.-L., (2005) Supercond. Sci. Technol. 18: 1094
Yokoya T., Baba T., Tsuda S., Kiss T., Chainani A., Shin S., Watanabe T., Nohara M., Hanaguri T., Takagi H., Takano Y., Kito H., Itoh J., Harima H., Oguchi T. (2006) J. Phys. Chem. Solids 67: 277
Huang C.L., Lin J.-Y., Sun C.P., Lee T.K., Kim J.D., Choi E.M., Lee S.I., Yang H.D., (2006) Phys. Rev. B 73:012502
Drechsler S.-L., Rosner H., Opahle I., Eschrig H. (2004) Physica C. 408: 104
Drechsler S.-L., I. Opahle, S. V. Shulga, H. Eschrig, G. Fuchs, Müller K.-H., W. Löser, H. Bitterlich, G. Behr, and H. Rosner, Physica B 329, 1352 (2003).
S.-L. Drechsler, H. Rosner, S. V.Shulga, I.Opahle, H.Eschrig, J.Freudenberger, G.Fuchs, K.Nenkov, K.-H.Müller, H. Bitterlich, W. Löser, G.Behr, D.Lipp, and A.Gladun, Physica C 364–365, 31 (2001).
Naidyuk Yu.G., Yanson I. K., (2005) Point-Contact Spectroscopy, Springer Series in Solid-State Sciences, Vol. 145 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc,.
I. O. Kulik, A. N. Omelyanchouk, and R. I. Shekhter, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 3, 1543 (1977) [Sov. J. Low Temp. Phys. 3, 840 (1977)].
I. O. Kulik, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 18, 450 (1992) [Sov. J. Low Temp. Phys. 18, 302 (1992)].
Blonder G.E., Tinkham M., Klapwijk T.M., (1982) Phys. Rev. B 25: 4515
Rybaltchenko L.F., Yanson I.K., Jansen A.G.M., Mandal P., Wyder P., Tomy C.V., McK Paul D. (1996) Physica B 218: 189
Yanson I.K., Fisun V.V., Jansen A.G.M., Wyder P., Canfield P.C., Cho B.K., Tomy C.V., McK Paul D. (1997) Phys. Rev. Lett. 78: 935
I. K. Yanson, V. V. Fisun, A. G. M. Jansen, P. Wyder, P. C. Canfield, B. K. Cho, C. V. Tomy, and D. M. Paul, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 23, 951 (1997) [Low Temp. Phys. 23, 712 (1997)].
Gompf F., Reichardt W., Schober H., Renker B., Buchgeister M. (1997) Phys. Rev. B 55:9058
Yu. G. Naidyuk, Bashlakov D.L., I. K. Yanson, G. Fuchs, G. Behr, D. Souptel, and Drechsler S.-L., Physica C (2007) (to be published).
Souptel D., Behr G., Löser W., Nenkov K., Fuchs G. (2005) J. Cryst. Growth 275:e91
A. Wexler, Proc. Phys. Soc. (London) 89: 927 (1966)
Shulga S.V., Drechsler S.-L., Fuchs G., Müller K.-H., Winzer K., Heinecke M., Krug K. (1998) Phys. Rev. Lett.80: 1730
I. O. Kulik, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 11, 937 (1985) [Sov. J. Low Temp. Phys. 11, 516 (1985)].
R. I. Shekhter and I. O. Kulik, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 9, 46 (1983) [Sov. J. Low Temp. Phys. 9, 22 (1983)].
Dynes R.C., Naraynamurti V., Garno J.P. (1978) Phys. Rev. Lett. 41:1509
Naidyuk Yu.G., Kvitnitskaya O.E., Yanson I.K., Fuchs G., Nenkov K., Drechsler S.-L., Behr G., Souptel D., Gloos K., (2005) Physica B 469: 359–361
Reichardt W., Heid R., Bohnen K.P. (2005) J. Superconductivity 18: 759
N. L. Bobrov, S. I. Beloborod‘ko, L. V. Tyutrina, V. N. Chernobay, I. K. Yanson, D. G. Naugle, and K. D. D. Rathnayaka, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 32, 641 (2006) [Low Temp. Phys. 32, 489 (2006)].
Szabó P., Samuely P., Kačmarčik J., Klein T., Marcus J., Fruchart D., Miraglia S., Marcenat C., Jansen A.G.M., (2001) Phys. Rev. Lett. 87: 137005
Baba T., Yokoya T., Tsuda S., Kiss T., Shimojima T., Shina S., Togashi T., Chen C.T., Zhang C.Q., Watanabe S., Watanabea T., Nohara M., Takagi H. (2006) . Physica B 469:378–380
Naidyuk Yu.G., Kvitnitskaya O.E., Yanson I.K., Lee S., Tajima S., (2005) Solid State Commun. 133: 363
Artemenko S.N., Volkov A.F., Zaitsev A.V. (1979) Solid State Commun. 30: 771
S. I. Beloborod’ko, and A. N. Omelyanchouk, Fiz. Nizk. Temp. 17, 994 (1991) [Sov. J. Low Temp. Phys. 17, 518 (1991)].
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bashlakov, D.L., Naidyuk, Y.G., Yanson, I.K. et al. Point-Contact Spectroscopy of the Borocarbide Superconductor YNi2B2C in the Normal and Superconducting State. J Low Temp Phys 147, 335–352 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-007-9327-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-007-9327-8