Thermodynamic properties of antiperovskite MgCNi3 in superconducting phase

Abstract

The aim of the present work is to explore the physical properties of the transition-metal based antiperovskite MgCNi3 in superconducting state. In particular, the critical value of the Coulomb pseudopotential and temperature dependence of the energy gap, specific heat, thermodynamic critical field and London penetration depth are theoretically analyzed within the framework of the Eliashberg formalism. Moreover, we determined the dimensionless ratios which are related to the above thermodynamic functions: 2Δ(0)/kBTC=4.19, ΔC(TC)/CN(TC)=2.27 and TCCN(TC)/HC2(0)=0.141. Our calculations show that obtained results significantly diverge from the values predicted by the BCS model due to the strong-coupling corrections and retardation effect existing in investigated antiperovskite.