Neutron-powder-diffraction study of the nuclear and magnetic structures of the antiferromagnetic superconductor HoNi2B2C

Reentrant behaviour in Y-doped Ho(0.75)Y(0.25)Ni(2)B(2)C single crystal

The transport and superconducting properties of Ho(0.75)Y(0.25)Ni(2)B(2)C single crystals were investigated to study the competing effects between superconductivity and magnetism. The superconducting transition temperature T(c) is 7.6 K, determined from the resistivity transition; meanwhile, the commensurate antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition occurs at T(N) of 3.9 K, which is lower than that of pure HoNi(2)B(2)C (T(N)≈5 K). Ho(0.75)Y(0.25)Ni(2)B(2)C reentered into the normal state at T(m) (T(N)<T(m)<T(c)) when small magnetic fields were applied along the crystallographic c-axis. In contrast to the case in HoNi(2)B(2)C, the reentrant behaviour for Ho(0.75)Y(0.25)Ni(2)B(2)C only appears when the applied field H is along the c-axis, and the reentrant peak position T(P)(H) shifts to lower temperature with increasing applied field. We suggest that the disorder of magnetic structure induced by Y doping may account for the significant difference in the reentrant behaviour between Ho(0.75)Y(0.25)Ni(2)B(2)C and HoNi(2)B(2)C. Moreover, there does not exist a deep minimum in the upper critical field H(c2)(T) line at T(N) of 3.9 K for either [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. The H-T phase diagram is derived and discussed.