Borocarbide Superconductors

Abstract

Recently discovered intermetallic RNi₂B₂C compounds show a wide variety of interesting physical properties depending upon R atom; compounds with R = Y, Lu are isotropic BCS-type superconductors with moderately high superconducting transition temperatures, R = Tm—Dy exhibit the coexistence of superconductivity with magnetic order and R = Yb behaves like a heavy fermion metal. Results on some of normal state transport properties, namely, electrical resistivity, absolute thermopower and Hall effect, and superconducting properties of these compounds are discussed.

Indexing terms:

• Borocarbides
• Superconductors
• Transport properties

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anil K Bhatnagar

A K Bhatnagar, received PhD in Experimental Solid State Physics from University of Maryland in 1967, was a postdoc at State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA during 1967–68, a faculty member at St Johns' University and Fordham University in New York city during 1968–1978. He joined the School of Physics, University of Hyderabad as a full professor in May 1977. He is Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences (New Delhi, India), National. Academy of Sciences (Allahabad, India), and Institute of Physics (UK). He has served as Dean, School of Physics, University of Hyderabad for 7 years (1981–1986, 1998–1999). His recent research interests are in glassy solids, conventional and high superconductivity, thin films, semiconductor and microwave materials.

K D D Rathnayaka

K D D Rathnayaka, received his PhD from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand in 1985 and was a postdoc and visiting assistant professor at Texas A&M University where he is currently a research scientist. He has been active in the study of amorphous metals, rare earth nickel borocarbides, thin film superconductivity and colossal magneto resistance.

D G Naugle

D G Naugle, received his PhD in condensed matter physics from Texas A&M University in 1965, was a postdoc at the University of Gottingen (1966) and University of Maryland (1967,68), and joined Texas A&M University as an assistant professor in 1969 where he is now professor. He was a co-organizer of the US-India Workshop on Disordered Materials at the University of Hyderabad in 1993. He is actively involved in researches in superconductivity, amorphous materials, borocarbides, thin film superconductivity and collossal magnetoresistive materials.