ISSN:
1573-7357
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
The initial depressions of the superconducting transition temperature T c of LaSn3 by rare earth (RE) impurities are known to be anomalous. In an attempt to clarify this behavior, we have measured the pressure dependence of the T c of (LaRE)Sn3 alloys (RE = Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, and Lu) to pressures up to 25 kbar. The magnitude of the pressure dependence of the T c of (LaRE)Sn3 alloys containing RE impurities with partially filled 4f electron shells decreases monotonically with increasing RE atomic number. A general discussion of existing zero- and high-pressure data for various physical properties of (LaRE)Sn3 alloys demonstrates that the association of large pressure dependences of T c with the occurrence of unstable impurity 4f shells (the Kondo effect) should be made with caution. The experimental high-pressure results are analyzed in terms of appropriate theoretical models for magnetic and nonmagnetic localized impurity states in superconductors.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00117163
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