Thermal Conductivity in Magnetic Superconductors

Original · EN

We present here an overview of thermal conductivity behavior in magnetic superconductors: rare-earth nickel borocarbide intermetallic compounds, RNi₂B₂C, and the 2122 rare-earth rutheno-cuprates. The borocarbide family of intermetallics exhibits the large variety of phenomena - only superconductivity (R = Y, Lu), coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order (R = Tm, Er, Ho, Lu), only magnetic order (R = Tb, Gd), and heavy fermion behavior (R = Yb) - within the same crystal structure. The rutheno-cuprate Eu₁.₅Ce₀.₅RuSr₂Cu₂O₁₀₋δ exhibits coexistence of weak ferromagnetism and superconductivity at a surprisingly high temperature (≈ 45 K) and onset of antiferromagnetic order near 200 K. We demonstrate how coexistence of superconductivity and magnetic order in these compounds is releaved by the thermal conductivity studies.