Superconductivity in Ir- and Os-based Laves compounds

Laves phase compounds belong to the class of Frank – Kasper phases showing topologically close-packed structures. They are categorized primarily into three parent members: the C14 hexagonal MgZn₂ – type (P63/mmc), the C15 cubic MgCu₂ – type (Fd-3m) and the C36 hexagonal MgNi₂ – type structures (P63/mmc). Motivated to describing Ir- and Os-based Laves superconductors, we synthesized and tested ROs₂ (R = Lu, Y, Sc) and AIr₂ (A = Ca, Sr) materials. The detailed characterization of the superconductivity and electronic structure of these intermetallic compounds are of great interest mainly because of the expected enhanced SOC behavior. The spin-orbit coupling has an influence on the several superconducting parameters such as the electronic density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level, the electron-phonon coupling parameter λ and, the value of superconducting critical temperature T_c.

Here, we will present our latest experimental results regard to superconducting properties of Laves compounds i.e., magnetic, heat capacity and electrical resistivity measurements data. In this case, our measurements indicate that all investigated materials are type-II superconductors with the bulk nature of the transition evident from the visible anomalies at T_c. By investigating these systems, we can better understand the importance of spin-orbit coupling for the physical properties of different materials.