A New Superconductor Family with Various Magnetic Elements
© The Physical Society of Japan
This article is on
Superconductivity in Ternary Scandium Telluride Sc6MTe2 with 3d, 4d, and 5d Transition Metalss
(JPSJ Editors' Choice)
J. Phys. Soc. Jpn.
92,
103701
(2023)
.
A new superconductor family, Sc6MTe2, has been discovered, comprising seven variations with magnetic elements labeled as M. Notably, only a few known superconductor families exist that involve various magnetic elements.
Understanding the connection between superconductivity, which is when a material loses all electrical resistance at low temperatures, and magnetism, a magnetic property of material, is significantly intricate. Normally, strong magnetism disrupts superconductivity; hence, materials with magnetic elements like iron tend not to exhibit superconductivity. However, materials containing magnetic elements rarely display unconventional superconductivity with remarkably high transition temperatures or unusual characteristics that defy existing theories. Unraveling the complex relationship between superconductivity and magnetism may be crucial for achieving superconductivity at room temperature. Discovering unique superconductors plays a key role in shedding light on this condition.
We investigated a family of materials, Sc6MTe2, consisting of scandium (Sc), tellurium (Te), and various magnetic elements like iron, cobalt, and nickel. These materials exhibit superconductivity in different cases, with specific superconducting transition temperatures varying depending on the magnetic element. For instance, Sc6FeTe2 boasts the highest transition temperature of Tc = 4.7 K. Families of superconductors containing diverse magnetic elements are quite rare. We anticipate that further research on this superconductor family will enhance our understanding of the interplay between superconductivity and magnetic elements.
Author: Yoshihiko Okamoto, representing all the authors.
Superconductivity in Ternary Scandium Telluride Sc6MTe2 with 3d, 4d, and 5d Transition Metalss
(JPSJ Editors' Choice)
J. Phys. Soc. Jpn.
92,
103701
(2023)
.
Share this topic
Fields
Related Articles
-
Negative Apparent Viscosity in Liquid Crystals
Cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology
Electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, and classical and fluid mechanics
Structure and mechanical and thermal properties in condensed matter
2026-6-8
Electrically driven liquid-crystal turbulence generates self-sustained flow and negative apparent viscosity. The fluorinated, chemically robust nematic PPDFB shows a substantially larger negative-viscosity effect than Schiff-base nematics.
-
Verification of Magnetic Structure Observation at the Atomic Scale
Atomic and molecular physics
Cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology
Nuclear physics
2026-6-2
Magnetic neutron scattering holography (MNH) were performed on a Fe0.08Co0.92 single crystal. the resulting holograms provided the first experimental evidence that MNH is sensitive to magnetic signals.
-
Role of the Diffusion Layer in Energy Devices
Cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology
Structure and mechanical and thermal properties in condensed matter
2026-5-1
In many energy devices, electron transfer occurs between ions dissolved in the electrolyte and the electrodes. For keep current flowing, new ions must be supplied continuously to the electrode surface from the bulk region. The diffusion layer’s role in diffusive mass transfer was clarified using the rotating disk electrode method.
-
Unveiling the Nodal Topology of the Spin-Triplet Superconductor Candidate UTe2
Structure and mechanical and thermal properties in condensed matter
Superconductivity
2026-4-13
Using high-quality UTe2 (Tc = 2.1 K), we identify its nodal gap structure. Field-angle‑resolved specific‑heat reveals a b-axis singularity, supporting spin-triplet superconductivity with nodes along the b axis.
-
Toward Clarification of Physical Properties of Quasicrystals: Noncollinear Magnetic Orders in Icosahedral Approximants
Cross-disciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology
Electronic transport in condensed matter
Magnetic properties in condensed matter
2026-4-6
An effective model based on magnetic anisotropy arising from a crystalline electric field is constructed for icosahedral approximants, which not only explains measured ferromagnets and antiferromagnets but also reveals new types of noncollinear magnetic orders.