Acta Physica Polonica B

Vol. 34, No. 2, February 2003, page 459


Effect of Anisotropic Strain on the Electronic Properties of the Pressure Induced Superconductor CePd2Si2

A. Demuer, A.T. Holmes, D. Jaccard

Taking advantage of the additional uniaxial stress present in the non-ideal pressure conditions of a Bridgman anvil cell, we demonstrate the high sensitivity of the physical properties in CePd2Si2 to anisotropic strain. Stress applied along the c-axis extends the phase diagram to higher pressures and enhances the superconducting phase emerging around the magnetic instability, with a 40% increase in the maximum superconducting temperature and a doubled pressure range. We discuss first the possible effect of anisotropic strain on the physics described only by spin fluctuations. However, the pressure dependence of the resistivity suggests a more complex ground state around the quantum critical point, where the Kondo and excited crystal field energies interact.

PACS numbers: 74.70.Tx, 74.62.Fj


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