Enhancement of local superconductivity in ferromagnetic FeCrB metallic glass by Ar+ ion irradiation.

We have reinforced local superconductivity in ferromagnetic Fe(67)Cr(18)B(15) metallic glasses by ion irradiation. Superconductivity in this medium appears due to the presence of large-scale layered clusters of metallic Fe-Cr phase, 150-230 Å in size, with a ferromagnetic (or superparamagnetic) Fe-rich core and nonmagnetic Cr-rich superconducting shell. Here we show that due to the intensification of concentration phase separation in the Fe-Cr clusters under ion (Ar(+)) irradiation, the volume of the superconducting phase increases from the initial 0.4-0.5% up to 7-8%. After irradiation, the resistivity jump Δρ/ρ in the temperature range T=3.1-3.6 K increases ∼14 times, reaching 19%, as compared to 1.36% for the initial sample. In the interval of T=3.1-3.6 K, the rate of resistance change reaches 79% K(-1) for the irradiated sample instead of 3.6% K(-1) for the initial sample. In the same temperature interval, the rate of magnetoresistance change increases from 3% K(-1) for the initial sample up to 70% K(-1) after irradiation.

Low-temperature anomalies in resistance and magnetoresistance of amorphous FeCrB ribbons. Coexistence of ferromagnetism and local superconductivity?

Investigation of the conductivity mechanisms in ferromagnetic Fe(67)Cr(18)B(15) metallic glasses with clusterized structure reveals anomalies in the behaviour of resistance and magnetoresistance (MR) in a narrow temperature interval, T = 3.6-3.1 K. The anomalies are seen as a sharp decrease of the sample resistivity in this range, with a rate equal to 3.6% K(-1), i.e. 200-500 times more than the rate 0.008-0.021% K(-1) in the range of 300-4 K. MR in the same range increases with a rate 1000 times larger (4% K(-1) at T ∼ 3.1-3.6 K) than in the 300-4 K range (<0.0015% K(-1)). We explain this result by the appearance of local superconductivity in the large-scale layered clusters of metallic Fe-Cr phase, 150-200 Å in size, with ferromagnetic Fe(2)Cr core and nonmagnetic FeCr(2) superconducting shell. The superconducting phase, which occupies 0.4-0.5% of the sample volume, provides a resistance jump Δρ/ρ≈1.5% that corresponds to calculation. The superconducting state of the clusters collapses if the magnetic field exceeds 20 kOe.