Yuki Matsumura

Thermodynamic investigation by calorimetric measurements of the layered organic superconductors, κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br and its partially deuterated compounds of κ-(d[2,2]-BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br and κ-(d[3,3]-BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br, performed in a wide temperature range is reported. The latter two compounds were located near the metal–insulator boundary in the dimer-Mott phase diagram. From the comparison of the temperature dependences of their heat capacities, we indicated that lattice heat capacities of the partially deuterated compounds were larger than that of the pristine compound below about 40 K. This feature probably related to the lattice softening was discussed also by the sound velocity measurement, in which the dip-like structures of the Δv/v were observed. We also discussed the variation of the electronic heat capacity under magnetic fields. From the heat capacity data at magnetic fields up to 6 T, we evaluated that the normal-state γ value of the partially deuterated compound, κ-(d[3,3]-BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br, was about 3.1 mJ K⁻² mol⁻¹. Under the magnetic fields higher than 3.0 T, we observed that the magnetic-field insulating state was induced due to the instability of the mid-gap electronic state peculiar for the two-dimensional dimer-Mott system. Even though the volume fraction was much reduced, the heat capacity of κ-(d[3,3]-BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br showed a small hump structure probably related to the strong coupling feature of the superconductivity near the boundary.

This article reviews and discusses the thermodynamic properties of dimer-Mott-type molecular superconductive compounds with (BEDT-TTF)₂X composition, where BEDT-TTF is bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene and X denotes counter-anions, respectively. We focus mainly on the features occurring in the κ-type structure in which the d-wave superconductive phase appears depending on the Coulomb repulsion U and the bandwidth W, which is tunable by external and chemical pressures. First, we report the high-pressure ac (alternating current) calorimetry technique and experimental system constructed to measure single-crystal samples of molecule-based compounds to derive low-temperature thermodynamic parameters. Using extremely small resistance chips as a heater and a thermometer allows four-terminal detection of an accurate temperature and its oscillation in the sample part with sufficient sensitivity. From the analyses of the temperature dependence of the ac heat capacity of κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(NCS)₂ under external pressures, we discuss the changes in the peak shape of the thermal anomaly at the superconductive transition temperature T_c at various external pressures p. The rather sharp peak in C_pT⁻¹ at T_c = 9.1 K with a strong coupling character at ambient pressure is gradually reduced to weaker coupling as the pressure increases to 0.45 GPa concomitant with suppression of the transition temperature. This feature is compared with the systematic argument of the chemical–pressure effect on the basis of thermal anomalies around the superconductive transition of κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂X compounds and other previously studied typical dimer-Mott 2:1 compounds. Finally, the discussion is extended to the chemical pressure effect on the normal state electronic heat capacity coefficient γ obtained by applying magnetic fields higher than H_c2 and the residual γ*, which remains in the superconductive state due to the induced electron density of states around the node structure. From the overall arguments with respect to both chemical and external pressures, we suggest that a crossover of the electronic state inside the superconductive phase occurs and the coupling strength of electron pairs varies from the electron correlation region near the metal-insulator boundary to the band picture region.