Discovery of the Pt-Based Superconductor LaPt5As

A novel superconductor, LaPt5As, which exhibits a new crystal structure was discovered by high-pressure synthesis using a Kawai-type apparatus. A superconducting transition temperature was observed at 2.6 K. Depending on the sintering pressure, LaPt5As has superconducting and non-superconducting phases with different crystal structures. A sintering pressure of around 10 GPa is effective to form single-phase superconducting LaPt5As. This material has a very unique crystal structure with an extremely long c lattice parameter of over 60 Å and corner-sharing tetrahedrons composed of network-like Pt layers. Density functional theory calculations have suggested that the superconducting current flows through these Pt layers. Also, this unique layered structure characteristic of LaPt5As is thought to play a key role in the emergence of superconductivity. Furthermore, due to a stacking structure which makes up layers, various structural modifications for the LaPt5As family are conceivable. Since such a high-pressure synthesis using a Kawai-type apparatus is not common in the field of materials science, there is large room for further exploration of unknown phases which are induced by high pressure in various materials.