Superconductivity in La${}_2$Ni${}_2$In

Abstract

We report here the properties of single crystals of La${}_2$Ni${}_2$In. Electrical resistivity and specific heat measurements concur with the results of Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, finding that La${}_2$Ni${}_2$In is a weakly correlated metal, where the Ni magnetism is almost completely quenched, leaving only a weak Stoner enhancement of the density of states. Superconductivity is observed at temperatures below 0.9K. A detailed analysis of the field and temperature dependencies of the resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, and specific heat at the lowest temperatures reveals that La${}_2$Ni${}_2$In is a dirty type-II superconductor with likely s-wave gap symmetry. Nanoclusters of ferromagnetic inclusions significantly affect the subgap states resulting in a non-exponential temperature dependence of the specific heat $C(T)$ at $T\ll T_{\text{c}}$.

submitted to Phys. Rev. B