Abstract
We present an overview of the efforts in point-contact (PC) study of the superconducting (SC) gap in the antiferromagnetic (AF) nickel-borocarbide compounds RNi2B2C (R = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm), for which the energy scales of AF and SC order, measured by the Neel temperature T N and the critical temperature T c, respectively, can be varied over a wide range. The SC gap was determined from the experimental dV ∕ dI curves of PCs employing the well-known BTK theory of conductivity for normal metal-superconductor PCs accounting Andreev reflection. Additionally, the mentioned theory including pair-breaking effect due to magnetic impurities was employed and a multiband structure of the title compounds was taken into consideration. Recent directional PC study of the SC gaps gives evidence for the anisotropic two-band (two-gap) nature of SC-ty in R = Er (T N ≈ 6 K < T c ≈ 11 K). Additionally, a distinct decrease of both gaps in this compound in the AF state is observed. The SC gap in R = Ho (T N ≈ 5. 2 K < T c ≈ 8. 5 K) exhibits below T ∗ ≈ 5. 6 K a standard single-band BCS-like dependence vanishing above T ∗, where a specific magnetic ordering starts to play a role. For R = Tm (T N ≈ 1. 5 K < T c ≈ 10. 5 K) a decrease of the SC gap is observed below ∼ 5 K, while for R = Dy (T N ≈ 10. 5 K > T c ≈ 6. 5 K) the SC gap has BCS-like dependence in the AF state. Distinct features of the SC gap behavior in the mentioned magnetic superconductors are discussed.
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Naidyuk, Y.G. et al. (2009). Point-Contact Study of the Superconducting Gap in the Magnetic Rare-Earth Nickel-Borocarbide RNi2B2C (R = Dy, Ho, Er, Tm) Compounds. In: Hahn, H., Sidorenko, A., Tiginyanu, I. (eds) Nanoscale Phenomena. NanoScience and Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-00708-8_3
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