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Title: Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt 3

Abstract

Spanning a broad range of physical systems, complex symmetry breaking is widely recognized as a hallmark of competing interactions. This is exemplified in superfluid ³He which has multiple thermodynamic phases with spin and orbital quantum numbers S = 1 and L = 1, that emerge on cooling from a nearly ferromagnetic Fermi liquid. The heavy fermion compound UPt₃ exhibits similar behavior clearly manifest in its multiple superconducting phases. However, consensus as to its order parameter symmetry has remained elusive. Our small angle neutron scattering measurements indicate a linear temperature dependence of the London penetration depth characteristic of nodal structure of the order parameter. Our theoretical analysis is consistent with assignment of its symmetry to an L = 3 odd parity state for which one of the three thermodynamic phases in non-zero magnetic field is chiral.

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1341479
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1194165
Grant/Contract Number:  
FG02-05ER46248; FG02-10ER46783
Resource Type:
Published Article
Journal Name:
New Journal of Physics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: New Journal of Physics Journal Volume: 17 Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1367-2630
Publisher:
IOP Publishing
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Subject:
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; heavy fermion; superconductivity; SANS; UPt₃

Citation Formats

Gannon, W. J., Halperin, W. P., Rastovski, C., Schlesinger, K. J., Hlevyack, J., Eskildsen, M. R., Vorontsov, A. B., Gavilano, J., Gasser, U., and Nagy, G. Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt 3. United Kingdom: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023041.
Gannon, W. J., Halperin, W. P., Rastovski, C., Schlesinger, K. J., Hlevyack, J., Eskildsen, M. R., Vorontsov, A. B., Gavilano, J., Gasser, U., & Nagy, G. Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt 3. United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023041
Gannon, W. J., Halperin, W. P., Rastovski, C., Schlesinger, K. J., Hlevyack, J., Eskildsen, M. R., Vorontsov, A. B., Gavilano, J., Gasser, U., and Nagy, G. Sun . "Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt 3". United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023041.
@article{osti_1341479,
title = {Nodal gap structure and order parameter symmetry of the unconventional superconductor UPt 3},
author = {Gannon, W. J. and Halperin, W. P. and Rastovski, C. and Schlesinger, K. J. and Hlevyack, J. and Eskildsen, M. R. and Vorontsov, A. B. and Gavilano, J. and Gasser, U. and Nagy, G.},
abstractNote = {Spanning a broad range of physical systems, complex symmetry breaking is widely recognized as a hallmark of competing interactions. This is exemplified in superfluid ³He which has multiple thermodynamic phases with spin and orbital quantum numbers S = 1 and L = 1, that emerge on cooling from a nearly ferromagnetic Fermi liquid. The heavy fermion compound UPt₃ exhibits similar behavior clearly manifest in its multiple superconducting phases. However, consensus as to its order parameter symmetry has remained elusive. Our small angle neutron scattering measurements indicate a linear temperature dependence of the London penetration depth characteristic of nodal structure of the order parameter. Our theoretical analysis is consistent with assignment of its symmetry to an L = 3 odd parity state for which one of the three thermodynamic phases in non-zero magnetic field is chiral.},
doi = {10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023041},
journal = {New Journal of Physics},
number = 2,
volume = 17,
place = {United Kingdom},
year = {Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/17/2/023041

Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 19 works
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Works referencing / citing this record:

Magnetic small-angle neutron scattering
journal, March 2019


Spin susceptibility of the topological superconductor UPt 3 from polarized neutron diffraction
journal, July 2017