Superconducting and normal-state properties of APd2As2 (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) single crystals

The synthesis and crystallography, magnetic susceptibility chi, magnetization M, specific heat C-p, in-plane electrical resistivity rho, and in-plane magnetic penetration depth measurements are reported for single crystals of APd(2)As(2) (A = Ca, Sr, Ba) versus temperature T and magnetic field H. The crystals were grown using PdAs self-flux. CaPd2As2 and SrPd2As2 crystallize in a collapsed body-centered tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure (I4/mmm), whereas BaPd2As2 crystallizes in the primitive tetragonal CeMg2Si2-type structure (P4/mmm), in agreement with literature data. The rho(T) data exhibit metallic behavior for all three compounds. Bulk superconductivity is reported for CaPd2As2 and SrPd2As2 below T-c = 1.27 and 0.92 K, respectively, whereas only a trace of superconductivity is found in BaPd2As2. No other phase transitions were observed. The chi(T) and M(H) data reveal anisotropic diamagnetism in the normal state, with chi(c) > chi(ab) for CaPd2As2 and BaPd2As2, and chi(c) < chi(ab) for SrPd2As2. The normal and superconducting state data indicate that CaPd2As2 and SrPd2As2 are conventional type-II nodeless s-wave electron-phonon superconductors. The electronic superconducting state heat capacity data for CaPd2As2, which has an extremely sharp heat capacity jump at T-c, are analyzed using our recent elaboration of the alpha-model of the BCS theory of superconductivity, which indicates that the s-wave gap in this compound is anisotropic in momentum space.