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Insight into the metallurgy of UCoGe by electron-beam zone refining crystal growth

ORAL

Abstract

New insights into the phenomena of superconductivity have been enabled by the recently discovered U-based ferromagnetic superconducting compounds UGe2, UCoGe, URhGe, and UTe2. Sample quality in these compounds has proven to be a challenge for achieving a maximal superconducting transition temperature.  

We report the growth and characterization of single crystal UCoGe made by electron-beam floating-zone refining in an ultra-high vacuum environment. Once annealed at 900 C, the zone-refinied UCoGe samples show a well defined superconducting transition at ∽0.55 K and a ferromagnetic transition at ∽2.6 K through both electrical resistivity and heat capacity, consistent with samples grown by other methods. Using scanning electron microscopy we observed a new U-rich phase that collected in cracks and voids within the UCoGe crystal, which may be a key to improving future sample quality.

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Publication: Phys. Rev. Materials 5, 054803 (2021)

Presenters

  • Keenan Avers

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Northwestern University

Authors

  • Keenan Avers

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Northwestern University

  • Man D Nguyen

    Northwestern University, Dept. Phys., Northwestern University

  • John W Scott

    Northwestern University, Dept. Phys., Northwestern University

  • William P Halperin

    Northwestern University, Dept. Phys., Northwestern University

  • Andrew Zimmerman

    Harvard University, Harvard

  • Sean M Thomas

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, U.S.A., Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545, USA

  • Joe D Thompson

    Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, U.S.A.

  • Priscila Rosa

    Quantum Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA, Los Alamos National Laboratory