UC San Diego

Superconductivity has long motivated researchers for its promise in energy applications; many of the studies have focused on the d-electron high Tc cuprates and how to increase the superconducting critical temperature, Tc. While the focus is understandable, there are still such vacancies in our knowledge of superconductivity that many avenues of research can be fruitful. Therefore, the work in this dissertation focuses on two f-electron superconducting systems: the filled skutterudite PrxCe₁- xPt₄Ge₁₂ and the ferromagnetic superconductor UCo₁-xFexGe. Poly and single crystal samples were synthesized during the course of the studies and were characterized by measurements of electrical resistivity, DC magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, thermopower, and powder x- ray diffraction