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Thermal conductivity of superconducting UPt sub 3

Journal Article · · Journal of Low Temperature Physics; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00683610· OSTI ID:5286053
; ;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. CNRS, Grenoble (France)
  2. Univ. de Geneve (Switzerland)
  3. Univ. of Southern California, Los Angeles (United States)
  4. Los Alamos National Labs., NM (United States)

The thermal conductivity {kappa} of the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt{sub 3} was measured on two single crystals of different quality as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field for different orientations of the heat current relative to both the field and the crystalline axes. The temperature dependence of {kappa} is far from exponential and nearly the same for both crystals, in which the heat current is, respectively, parallel and perpendicular to the hexagonal c axis, suggesting a gap structure with nodes in the basal plane and normal to it. The field dependence of {kappa} is strongly anisotropic. In the best sample at low fields, where the scattering of heat carriers by vortices is thought to be important, {kappa}(H) depends on the relative orientation of field and current. On the other hand, at high fields near H{sub c2} (in both samples), {kappa}(H) depends on the relative orientation of field and crystalline axes, reflecting an anisotropy in the gap structure and in the Fermi velocities.

OSTI ID:
5286053
Journal Information:
Journal of Low Temperature Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Low Temperature Physics; (United States) Vol. 84:3-4; ISSN 0022-2291; ISSN JLTPA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English