Superconductivity and magnetism on flux-grown single crystals of NiBi3

B. SILVA; R. F. LUCCAS; N. M. NEMES; J. HANKO; M. R. OSORIO; P. KULKARNI; F. MOMPEAN; M. GARCÍA-HERNÁNDEZ; M. A. RAMOS; S. VIEIRA; H. SUDEROW

PHYSICAL REVIEW B - CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS

American Physical Society

Año: 2013 vol. 88 p. 184508 - 184508

0163-1829

We present resistivity, magnetization, and specific-heat measurements on flux-grown single crystals of NiBi3. We find typical behavior of a type-II superconductor, with, however, a sizable magnetic signal in the superconducting phase. There is a hysteretic magnetization characteristic of a ferromagnetic compound. By following the magnetization as a function of temperature, we find a drop at temperatures corresponding to the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic amorphous Ni. Thus, we assign the magnetism in NiBi3 crystals to amorphous Ni impurities.