Pressure-temperature phase diagram of polycrystalline UCoGe studied by resistivity measurement

Recently, coexistence of ferromagnetism (TCurie = 2.8 K) and superconductivity (Tsc = 0.8 K) has been reported in UCoGe, a compound close to a ferromagnetic instability at ambient pressure P. Here we present resistivity measurements under pressure on a UCoGe polycrystal. The phase diagram obtained from resistivity measurements on a polycrystalline sample is found to be qualitatively different to those of all other ferromagnetic superconductors. By applying high pressure, ferromagnetism is suppressed at a rate of 1.4 K/GPa. No indication of ferromagnetic order has been observed above P approximate to 1 GPa. The resistive superconducting transition is, however, quite stable in temperature and persists up to the highest measured pressure of about 2.4 GPa. Superconductivity would therefore appear also in the paramagnetic phase. However, the appearance of superconductivity seems to change at a characteristic pressure P* ∼ 0.8 GPa. Close to a ferromagnetic instability, the homogeneity of the sample can influence strongly the electronic and magnetic properties and therefore bulk phase transitions may differ from the determination by resistivity measurements. (authors)