Magnetoresistivity and anisotropy along c-axis of ErNi2B2C

Abstract

We have measured the c-axis magnetoresistivity ρc(H,T) of quaternary intermetallic compound ErNi2B2C for 2 K<T<300 K temperature region and 0 G<H<11 kG magnetic fields with H∥ab- and ∥c-axes, which has the Néel temperature TN (5.58 K for H=0) and superconducting transition temperature Tc (10.8 K for H=0). From these ρc(H,T)’s, the superconducting upper critical field HC2(T) curves were constructed for H∥ab and H∥c and its anisotropy in Hc2(T) is discussed and compared to the result from ab plane ρab(H,T) measurement considering magnetic pair breaking and the anisotropic field dependence of the Néel temperature arisen from the Er+3 sublattice.