BCS-like superconductivity in MgCNi3

Abstract

The low-temperature specific heat C(T,H) of the superconductor MgCNi3 has been measured in detail. DeltaC/gamma(n)T(c)=1.97 is estimated from the anomaly at T-c. At low temperatures, the electronic contribution in the superconducting state follows C-es/gamma(n)T(c)approximate to7.96 exp(-1.46T(c)/T). The magnetic-field dependence of gamma(H) is found to be linear with respect to H. T-c estimated from the McMillan formula agrees well with the observed value. All the specific-heat data appear to be consistent with each other within the moderate-coupling BCS context. It is amazing that such a superconductor unstable to ferromagnetism behaves so conventionally. The Debye temperature Theta(D)=287 K and the normal state gamma(n)=33.6 mJ/mol K-2 are determined for the present sample.