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arXiv · 1205.6836

Type-I superconductivity in ScGa3 and LuGa3 single crystals

E. Svanidze·E. Morosan
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Abstract

We present evidence of type-I superconductivity in single crystals of ScGa3 and LuGa3, from magnetization, specific heat, and resistivity measurements: low critical temperatures Tc = 2.1-2.2 K; field-induced secondto first-order phase transition in the specific heat, critical fields less than 240 Oe; and low Ginzburg-Landau coefficients {\kappa} approx 0.23 and 0.30 for ScGa3 and LuGa3, respectively, are all traits of a type-I superconducting ground state. These observations render ScGa3 and LuGa3 two of only several type-I superconducting compounds, with most other superconductors being type II (compounds and alloys) or type I (elemental metals and metaloids).

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E. Svanidze, E. Morosan. 2012-05-30. Type-I superconductivity in ScGa3 and LuGa3 single crystals. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.85.174514

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