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arXiv · 1202.3282

Pressure-induced and Composition-induced Structural Quantum Phase Transition in the Cubic Superconductor (Sr/Ca)_3Ir_4Sn_{13}

Lina E. Klintberg·Swee K. Goh·Patricia L. Alireza·Paul J. Saines·David A. Tompsett·Peter W. Logg·Jinhu Yang·Bin Chen·Kazuyoshi Yoshimura·F. Malte Grosche
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Abstract

We show that the quasi-skutterudite superconductor Sr_3Ir_4Sn_{13} undergoes a structural transition from a simple cubic parent structure, the I-phase, to a superlattice variant, the I'-phase, which has a lattice parameter twice that of the high temperature phase. We argue that the superlattice distortion is associated with a charge density wave transition of the conduction electron system and demonstrate that the superlattice transition temperature T* can be suppressed to zero by combining chemical and physical pressure. This enables the first comprehensive investigation of a superlattice quantum phase transition and its interplay with superconductivity in a cubic charge density wave system.

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Lina E. Klintberg, Swee K. Goh, Patricia L. Alireza, Paul J. Saines, David A. Tompsett, Peter W. Logg, Jinhu Yang, Bin Chen, Kazuyoshi Yoshimura, F. Malte Grosche. 2012-10-08. Pressure-induced and Composition-induced Structural Quantum Phase Transition in the Cubic Superconductor (Sr/Ca)_3Ir_4Sn_{13}. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.109.237008

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