Multicomponent odd-parity superconductivity in UAu
2
at high pressure
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Published:2022-12-14
Issue:51
Volume:119
Page:
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ISSN:0027-8424
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Container-title:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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language:en
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Short-container-title:Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.
Author:
O’Neill Christopher D.1,
Schmehr Julian L.1,
Huxley Andrew D.1
Affiliation:
1. School of Physics and Astronomy and Centre for Science at Extreme Conditions, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, United Kingdom
Abstract
We report that high-quality single crystals of the hexagonal heavy fermion material uranium diauride (UAu
2
) become superconducting at pressures above 3.2 GPa, the pressure at which an unusual antiferromagnetic state is suppressed. The antiferromagnetic state hosts a marginal fermi liquid and the pressure evolution of the resistivity within this state is found to be very different from that approaching a standard quantum phase transition. The superconductivity that appears above this transition survives in high magnetic fields with a large critical field for all field directions. The critical field also has an unusual angle dependence suggesting that the superconductivity may have an order parameter with multiple components. An order parameter consistent with these observations is predicted to host half-quantum vortices (HQVs). Such vortices can be topologically entangled and have potential applications in quantum computing.
Funder
UKRI | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Publisher
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Subject
Multidisciplinary