Pressure-induced spin-density-wave transition in superconducting Mo3Sb7

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We report a novel pressure-induced spin-density-wave transition in the superconductor Mo3Sb7 figured our by measurements of the electrical resistivity and magnetization under hydrostatic pressure. The critical temperature of superconducting Mo3Sb7 is found to increase with increasing pressure, from 2.15 K at 0.2 kbar up to 2.37 K at 22 kbar. Above 4.5 kbar, superconductivity exists in parallel with a pressure-induced spin-density wave state, revealed by a sharp jump in the electrical resistivity and a maximum in the magnetization at the phase transition temperature TₛDW. The application of pressure shifts TₛDW to lower temperatures, from 6.6 K at 4.5 kbar down to 6.15 K at 22 kbar. A strong magnetic field dependence of TₛDW and a maximum seen in the magnetization indicate an antiferromagnetic character of TₛDW. The pressure dependence of Tc and TₛDW suggests a competition of the SDW and the superconducting states in this system.