Superconductivity in layered pnictides BaIr$_{2}$P$_{2}$ and BaRh$_{2}$P$_{2}$

The exploration of new superconductors, triggered by the discovery of LaFeAs(O,F), has concentrated mostly on Fe-based pnictides. A variety of non-Fe pnictides, isostructural to Fe pnictide superconductors, have been known for a long time but not yet fully explored in terms of possible superconductivity. Further exploration of non-Fe pnitide superconductors is important for understanding the key factors in realizing the high $T_{c}$ in the Fe pnictides. We report new Ir and Rh pnictide superconductors, isostructural to BaFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$, BaRh$_{2}$P$_{2}$ and BaIr$_{2}$P$_{2}$, with $T_{c}$ = 1.0 and 2.1 K respectively. This discovery demonstrates the presence of superconductivity over a surprisingly broad range of transition metal compounds with ThCr$_{2}$Si$_{2}$-type structure from Fe to Ir.