Anisotropic superconductivity in Lu2Fe3Si5

We have prepared polycrystalline and single crystalline silicon-containing superconductor Lu2Fe3Si5, and evaluated its superconducting properties. The reduced specific heat jump at the transition temperature and a finite residual electronic specific heat are confirmed. However, magnetization measurements indicate the presence of appreciable paramagnetic background, implying the extrinsic nature of the anomalous specific heat behavior. Remarkable peak effects show up in the magnetization measurements for both polycrystalline and single crystalline samples. A clear anisotropy in the upper critical field classifies Lu2Fe3Si5 into a quasi two-dimensional superconductor. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.