Intermediate Regime between Metal and Superconductor below T =100 K in NiSi

Abstract

Magnetic response of a metal to an external magnetic field remains independent of the frequency of an ac magnetic field as temperature is reduced. Here, we report the discovery of an anomalous but enormous enhancement of the ac frequency dependent diamagnetic susceptibility below T≃100 K in metallic NiSi. In addition, magnetic measurements of NiSi in applied magnetic field depict strong irreversibility in the diamagnetic responses of zero-field cooled and field cooled curves below T≃55 K. Even though the metallic behavior of NiSi is primarily manifested to the lowest temperature of T=1.5 K, a small downward cusp around T≃75 K is also detected in electrical measurement. These observations suggest the existence of a minority superconducting phase in NiSi, which bridges the gap between metal and superconductor. Consequently, this novel intermediate regime provides a new perspective to the development of unconventional superconductors.

Department(s)

Physics

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1098-0121

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2016 American Physical Society (APS), All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Nov 2016

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