Magnetization measurements on Li₂Pd₃B superconductor

Magnetization in dc magnetic fields and at different temperatures has been measured on the antiperovskite Li₂Pd₃B with a cubic structure composed of distorted Pd₆B octahedrons. This material was recently found to exhibit superconductivity at 7-8 K. The critical fields H _c1(0) and H_c2(0) are determined to be 135 Oe and 4 T, respectively. Critical current density, scaling of the pinning force within the Kramer model, and irreversibility field data are presented. Several superconductivity parameters were deduced: Coherence length ξ =9.1 nm, penetration depth λ = 194nm, and Ginzburg-Landau parameter κ=21. The material resembles other boride superconductors from the investigated points of view.