Superconductivity in a low carrier density system: A single crystal study of cubic Y3Ru4Ge13

We have successfully grown the single crystal of a low carrier density system Y3Ru4Ge13 which crystallises in the cubic crystal structure with the space group Pm3n. Y3Ru4Ge13 exhibits superconductivity below 2.85 K as determined from the electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements. The bulk measurements indicate multi-band superconductivity in this low carrier system. Hall effect measurements show that the Hall coefficient R-H is positive and it decreases rapidly with temperature which is highly unusual. The simple estimation of the carrier concentration gives a value (10(20)/cm(3)) which is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that of a conventional metal like Cu which seems to suggest that Y3Ru4Ge13 is a semimetal that display multiband superconductivity. (C) 2013 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.