Detailed studies of superconducting properties of Y2Pd1.25Ge2.75

We report a successful synthesis of a high-purity intermetallic germanide Y 2 Pd 1.25 Ge 2.75 , crystallizing in the disordered variant of the AlB 2 -type structure. A single-phase sample was obtained via arc-melting by deliberately tuning the composition out of the ideal 2:1:3 ratio. Specific heat, electrical resistivity and magnetization measurements show that the compound is a weakly-coupled (λ e-p = 0.58) type-II superconductor with a superconducting transition at T c = 2.72 K. Additional magnetization measurements conducted under pressure up to 0.55 GPa show suppression of T c , at a rate of − 0.17 K/GPa. Electronic structure calculations reveal the deep similarity between Y 2 Pd 1.25 Ge 2.75 and other AlB 2 -type germanide superconductors, especially the ordered YGa 2 phase. • For the first time a chemically pure Y 2 Pd 1.25 Ge 2.75 has been synthesized. • A full set of the superconducting parameters is reported. • Y 2 Pd 1.25 Ge 2.75 is a weakly-coupled (λ e-p = 0.58) type-II superconductor with a superconducting transition at T c = 2.72 K. • The magnetization measurements conducted under pressure up to 0.55 GPa show suppression of T c , at a rate of − 0.17 K/GPa. • DFT calculations reveal an important similarity to other AlB 2 -type superconductors, notably the ordered YGa 2 phase.