Coexistence of light and heavy carriers associated with superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in CeNi0.8Bi2 with a Bi square net

Phys Rev Lett. 2011 Feb 4;106(5):057002. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.057002. Epub 2011 Feb 2.

Abstract

We found that the ZrCuSiAs-type crystal CeNi(0.8)Bi(2) with a layered structure composed of alternate stacking of [CeNi(x)Bi(1)](δ+) and Bi(2)(δ-) exhibits a superconductive transition at ∼4 K. The conductivities, magnetic susceptibilities, and heat capacities measurements indicate the presence of two types of carriers with notable different masses, i.e., a light electron responsible for superconductivity and a heavy electron interacting with the Ce 4f electron. This observation suggests that 6p electrons of Bi(2) forming the square net and electrons in CeNi(x)Bi(1) layers primarily correspond to the light and heavy electrons, respectively.