Abstract
The effect of thorium impurities on superconductivity and antiferromagnetism, which coexist below the superconducting critical temperature T c, has been investigated in the heavy electron compound URu 2Si 2. The substitution of up to 5 at% Th for U was found to (1) enhance the low temperature normal state magnetic susceptibility and electronic specific heat coefficient γ, (2) broaden the superconducting and antiferromagnetic transitions, (3) suppress the specific heat jump associated with the superconductivity at T c and antiferromagnetism at the Néel temperature T N, and (4) induce a Kondo-like minimum in the electrical resistivity at low temperatures. The increase in γ and decrease in T N and the antiferromagnetic energy gap Δ with negative “chemical pressure” associated with the substitution of Th for U correlates with the decrease in γ and increase in T N and Δ upon application of an external pressure.
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