Disorder-sensitive superconductivity in the iron silicide Lu$_2$Fe$_3$Si$_5$ studied by the Lu-site substitutions

Abstract

We studied effect of non-magnetic and magnetic impurities on superconductivity in Lu$_2$Fe$_3$Si$_5$ by small amount substitution of the Lu site, which investigated structural, magnetic, and electrical properties of non-magnetic (Lu$_{1-x}$Sc$_x$)$_2$Fe$_3$Si$_5$, (Lu$_{1-x}$Y$_x$)$_2$Fe$_3$Si$_5$, and magnetic (Lu$_{1-x}$Dy$_x$)$_2$Fe$_3$Si$_5$. The rapid depression of $T_c$ by non-magnetic impurities in accordance with the increase of residual resistivity reveals the strong pair breaking dominated by disorder. We provide compelling evidence for the sign reversal of the superconducting order parameter in Lu$_2$Fe$_3$Si$_5$.