Ir d-band derived superconductivity in the lanthanum-iridium system LaIr₃

The electronic properties of the heavy metal superconductor LaIr₃ are reported. The estimated superconducting parameters obtained from physical properties measurements indicate that LaIr₃ is a BCS-type superconductor. Electronic band structure calculations show that Ir d-states dominate the Fermi level. A comparison of electronic band structures of LaIr₃ and LaRh₃shows that the Ir-compound has a strong spinorbit-coupling effect, which creates a complex Fermi surface.