Effect of pressure on superconductivity in NaAlSi

Abstract

The ternary superconductor NaAlSi, isostructural with LiFeAs, the "111" iron pnictide superconductor, is investigated under pressure. The structure remains stable up to 15 GPa. Resistivity and susceptibility measurements show an increase of Tc up to 2 GPa, followed by a decrease until superconductivity disappears at 4.8 GPa. Band structure calculations show that pressure should have a negligible effect on the electronic structure and the Fermi surface and thus the disappearance of superconductivity under pressure must have a different origin. We compare the electronic structure of NaAlSi under pressure with that of nonsuperconducting isostructural NaAlGe. © 2012 American Physical Society.