Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of impurity scattering on superconductivity in K2Cr3As3

  • Article
  • Published:
Science China Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Impurity scattering in a superconductor may serve as an important probe for the nature of superconducting pairing state. Here we report the impurity effect on superconducting transition temperature T c in the newly discovered Cr-based superconductor K2Cr3As3. The resistivity measurements show that the crystals prepared using high-purity Cr metal (≥99.99%) have an electron mean free path much larger than the superconducting coherence length. For the crystals prepared using impure Cr that contains various nonmagnetic impurities, however, the T c decreases significantly, in accordance with the generalized Abrikosov-Gor’kov pair-breaking theory. This finding supports a non-s-wave superconductivity in K2Cr3As3.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. K. Bao, J. Y. Liu, C. W.Ma, Z. H.Meng, Z. T. Tang, Y. L. Sun, H. F. Zhai, H. Jiang, H. Bai, C. M. Feng, Z. A. Xu, and G. H. Cao, Phys. Rev. X 5, 011013 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Z. T. Tang, J. K. Bao, Y. Liu, Y. L. Sun, A. Ablimit, H. F. Zhai, H. Jiang, C. M. Feng, Z. A. Xu, and G. H. Cao, Phys. Rev. B 91, 020506(R) (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Z. T. Tang, J. K. Bao, Z. Wang, H. Bai, H. Jiang, Y. Liu, H. F. Zhai, C. M. Feng, Z. A. Xu, and G. H. Cao, Sci. China-Mater. 58, 16 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. H. Z. Zhi, T. Imai, F. L. Ning, J. K. Bao, and G. H. Cao, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 147004 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. J. Yang, Z. T. Tang, G. H. Cao, and G. Q. Zheng, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 147002 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. G. M. Pang, M. Smidman, W. B. Jiang, J. K. Bao, Z. F. Weng, Y. F. Wang, L. Jiao, J. L. Zhang, G. H. Cao, and H. Q. Yuan, Phys. Rev. B 91, 220502(R) (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. G. M. Pang, M. Smidman,W. B. Jiang, Y. G. Shi, J. K. Bao, Z. T. Tang, Z. F. Weng, Y. F. Wang, L. Jiao, J. L. Zhang, J. L. Luo, G. H. Cao, and H. Q. Yuan, J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 400, 84 (2016).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. H. Zuo, J. K. Bao, Y. Liu, J. Wang, Z. Jin, Z, Xia, L. Li, Z. Xu, Z. Zhu, and G. H. Cao, [arXiv: 1511.06169].

  9. W. L. Zhang, H. Li, D. Xia, H. W. Liu, Y. G. Shi, J. L. Luo, J. Hu, P. Richard, and H. Ding, Phys. Rev. B 92, 060502 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. D. T. Adroja, A. Bhattacharyya, M. Telling, Yu. Feng, M. Smidman, B. Pan, J. Zhao, A. D. Hillier, F. L. Pratt, and A. M. Strydom, Phys. Rev. B 92, 134505 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Z. Wang, V. Sidorov, Q.Wu, J. Bao, Z. Tang,W. Yi, J. Guo, Y. Zhou, S. Zhang, C. Zhang, G. Cao, L. Sun, and Z. Zhao, [arXiv: 1502.04304].

  12. T. Kong, S. L. Budko, and P. C. Canfield, Phys. Rev. B 91, 020507(R) (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. F. F. Balakirev, T. Kong, M. Jaime, R. D. McDonald, C. H. Mielke, A. Gurevich, P. C. Canfield, and S. L. Budko, Phys. Rev. B 91, 220505(R) (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. X. F. Wang, C. Roncaioli, C. Eckberg, H. Kim, J. Yong, Y. Nakajima, S. R. Saha, P. Y. Zavalij, and J. Paglione, Phys. Rev. B 92, 020508(R) (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. H. Jiang, G. H. Cao, and C. Cao, Sci. Rep. 5, 16054 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. X. Wu, C. Le, J. Yuan, H. Fan, and J. Hu, Chin. Phys. Lett. 32, 057401 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. X. Wu, F. Yang, C. Le, H. Fan, and J. Hu, Phys. Rev. B 92, 104511 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Y. Zhou, C. Cao, and F. C. Zhang, [arXiv: 1502.03928].

  19. H. Zhong, X. Y. Feng, H. Chen, and J. Dai, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 227001 (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. X. Wu, F. Yang, S. Qin, H. Fan, and J. Hu, arXiv: 1507.07451.

  21. P. Alemany, and E. Canadell, Inorg. Chem. 54, 8029 (2015).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. L. D. Zhang, X. Wu, H. Fan, F. Yang, and J. Hu, arXiv: 1512.00147.

  23. P. W. Anderson, J. Phys. Chem. Solid 11, 26 (1959).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. A. V. Balatsky, I. Vekhter, and J. X. Zhu, Rev. Mod. Phys. 78, 373 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. P. I. Larkin, Sov. Phys. JETP Lett. 2, 130 (1965).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. A. J. Millis, S. Sachdev, and C. M. Varma, Phys. Rev. B 37, 4975 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. R. J. Radtke, K. Levin, H. B. Schüttler, and M. R. Norman, Phys. Rev. B 48, 653 (1993).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. A. A. Abrikosov, and L. P. Gorkov, Sov. Phys. JETP 12, 1243 (1961).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Y. Dalichaouch, M. C. de Andrade, D. A. Gajewski, R. Chau, P. Visani, and M. B. Maple, Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 3938 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. A. P. Mackenzie, R. K.W. Haselwimmer, A.W. Tyler, G. G. Lonzarich, Y. Mori, S. Nishizaki, and Y. Maeno, Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 161 (1998).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. S. K. Tolpygo, J. Y. Lin, M. Gurvitch, S. Y. Hou, and J. M. Phillips, Phys. Rev. B 53, 12454 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. J. K. Bao, L. Li, Z. T. Tang, Y. Liu, Y. K. Li, H. Bai, C. M. Feng, Z. A. Xu, and G. H. Cao, Phys. Rev. B 91, 180404(R) (2015).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. E. Fawcett, H. L. Albert, V. Yu. Galkin, D. R. Noakes, and J. V. Yakhmi, Rev. Mod. Phys. 66, 25 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. M. Tinkham, Introduction to Superconductivity (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1996).

    Google Scholar 

  35. N. W. Ashcroft, and N. D. Mermin, Solid State Physics (Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York, 1976), pp. 2–49.

    Google Scholar 

  36. A. Garg, M. Randeria, and N. Trivedi, Nat. Phys. 4, 762 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. K. Michaeli, and L. Fu, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 187003 (2012).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Yi Liu, Jin-Ke Bao, Abduweli Ablimit, Zhang-Tu Tang, Chun-Mu Feng & Guang-Han Cao

  2. Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing, 210093, China

    Yi Liu, Jin-Ke Bao, Abduweli Ablimit, Zhang-Tu Tang & Guang-Han Cao

  3. Wuhan National High Magnetic Field Center, School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Hao-Kun Zuo & Zeng-Wei Zhu

  4. State Key Lab of Silicon Materials, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    Guang-Han Cao

Authors
  1. Yi Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jin-Ke Bao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hao-Kun Zuo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Abduweli Ablimit
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Zhang-Tu Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Chun-Mu Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Zeng-Wei Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Guang-Han Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guang-Han Cao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Liu, Y., Bao, JK., Zuo, HK. et al. Effect of impurity scattering on superconductivity in K2Cr3As3 . Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 59, 657402 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-016-5788-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-016-5788-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation