Pressure-induced superconductivity in ferromagnetic UIr without inversion symmetry

Abstract

We report the discovery of pressure-induced superconductivity in ferromagnetic UIr, which lacks inversion symmetry in the crystal structure. The Curie temperature TC1 = 46 K at ambient pressure decreases with increasing pressure, reaching a value of 11 K at 1.5 GPa. It presumably decreases further up to about Pc1 = 1.7 GPa. The ferromagnetic region named 'F1' exists up to Pc1. A second magnetic phase named 'F2' with a low ferromagnetic moment appears in the pressure range from 1.9 to 2.4 GPa. In the 'F2' phase, the magnetic transition temperature TC2 decreases with pressure, from 18 K at 1.9 GPa to approximately zero at PC2 = 2.6–2.7 GPa. In this critical pressure region, superconductivity appears below Tsc = 0.14 K.