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Superconductivity under pressure in a van der Waals heavy-fermion metal
Nature • • science
Key Points:
- X-ray diffraction analysis of CeSiI single crystals confirms the c-axis is perpendicular to the crystal surface, with atomic ratios close to the expected CeSiI formula.
- Electrical resistivity measurements at ambient pressure show sample-dependent residual resistivity ratios (RRR), which increase significantly under 2 GPa pressure, indicating pressure-enhanced conductivity.
- Magnetic susceptibility data reveal an antiferromagnetic transition at the Néel temperature TN = 7.1 K, with a magnetic moment consistent with Ce3+ ions.
- Magnetization measurements at 2 K under a magnetic field parallel to the c-axis show two metamagnetic transitions around 2.4 T and 4.1 T, with a saturation moment of approximately 1.11 μB per formula unit at 7 T.
- Low-temperature resistivity under varying pressures during decompression highlights changes in resistivity behavior and confirms the persistence of magnetic and electronic transitions under pressure.
