Pressure-induced spin-density-wave transition in superconducting Mo3Sb7
Abstract
We report a novel pressure-induced spin-density-wave transition in the superconductor Mo3Sb7 figured our by measurements of the electrical resistivity and magnetization under hydrostatic pressure. The critical temperature of superconducting Mo3Sb7 is found to increase with increasing pressure, from 2.15 K at 0.2 kbar up to 2.37 K at 22 kbar. Above 4.5 kbar, superconductivity exists in parallel with a pressure-induced spin-density wave state, revealed by a sharp jump in the electrical resistivity and a maximum in the magnetization at the phase transition temperature TSDW. The application of pressure shifts TSDW to lower temperatures, from 6.6 K at 4.5 kbar down to 6.15 K at 22 kbar. A strong magnetic field dependence of TSDW and a maximum seen in the magnetization indicate an antiferromagnetic character of TSDW. The pressure dependence of Tc and TSDW suggests a competition of the SDW and the superconducting states in this system.