Superconductivity of cerium under pressures up to 54GPa

Abstract

Cerium is a fascinating element due to its diverse physical properties, which include forming various crystal structures ($\gamma$, $\alpha$, ${\alpha }^{{}^{\prime }}$, ${\alpha }^{{}^{\prime \prime }}$ and $\epsilon$), mixed valence behavior and superconductivity, making it an ideal platform for investigating the interplay between different electronic states. Here, we present a comprehensive transport study of cerium under hydrostatic pressures up to 54 GPa. Upon applying pressure, cerium undergoes the $\alpha$ $\to$ ${\alpha }^{{}^{\prime \prime }}$ transition at around 4.9 GPa, which is accompanied by the appearance of superconductivity with $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ of 0.4 K, and $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ slightly increases to 0.5 K at 11.4 GPa. At 14.3 GPa, $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ suddenly increases when the ${\alpha }^{{}^{\prime \prime }}$ phase transforms into the $\epsilon$ phase, reaching a maximum value of 1.25 K at around 17.2 GPa. Upon further increasing the pressure, $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ monotonically decreases. Together with the results of previous studies, our findings suggest that the evolution of superconductivity in cerium is closely correlated with the multiple pressure-induced structural transitions and corresponding unusual electronic structures.

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