SUPERCONDUCTIVITY OF TERNARY RARE-EARTH COMPOUNDS

A theoretical discussion of ternary rare-earth compounds which enter the superconducting state at a temperature Tc1, then ferromagnetically order at TM< Tc1,is given. The local moments of the rare-earth elements couple to the superconducting electrons so that as TMis approached from above, the growth of spin fluctuations suppresses the superconductivity, then completely destroys it at Tc2(>TM).Expressions for the phase diagram, several thermodynamic quantities, the upper critical field, and the dilution effect are derived. © 1979 Plenum Publishing Corporation.