Superconductivity in the lanthanum-yttrium-manganese alloy system

Abstract

An empirical approach involving lattice instabilities was investigated in the search for new superconducting materials. Pseudo-lanthanide compounds using La and Y were prepared for the system La/sub 1-x/Y/sub x/Mn/sub 2/ by arc melting and subsequent heat treatment. Low temperature magnetic susceptibility and low temperature heat capacity measurements were made. The unit cell lattice parameters were determined from x-ray powder patterns taken on most samples and metallographic examination was carried out on selected samples. Alloys with low La concentrations (x greater than or equal to 0.6) showed RMn/sub 2/ in the cubic C15 Laves phase as the major component with second phase material present. The magnetic susceptibility and x-ray data indicated a superconducting phase which seemed to be the RMn/sub 2/ phase, but heat capacity measurements showed the second phase material was the superconductor, while the RMn/sub 2/ was not. Failure to form compounds with higher La content was experienced and may be due to the lattice instability expected at x = 0.56. This indicates that perhaps more stingent conditions are required to form pseudo-lanthanide compounds than were previously considered. More systems should be investigated to see if this is true, and to determine the possibilities of this approach.