Unconventional superconductivity in topological Kramers nodal-line semimetals

Abstract

Crystalline symmetry is a defining factor of the electronic band topology in solids, where many-body interactions often induce a spontaneous breaking of symmetry. Superconductors lacking an inversion center are among the best systems to study such effects or even to achieve topological superconductivity. Here, we demonstrate that T RuSi materials (with T a transition metal) belong to this class. Their bulk normal states behave as three-dimensional Kramers nodal-line semimetals, characterized by large antisymmetric spin-orbit couplings and by hourglass-like dispersions. Our muon-spin spectroscopy measurements show that certain T RuSi compounds spontaneously break the time-reversal symmetry at the superconducting transition, while unexpectedly showing a fully gapped superconductivity. Their unconventional behavior is consistent with a unitary ( s + ip ) pairing, reflecting a mixture of spin singlets and spin triplets. By combining an intrinsic time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductivity with nontrivial electronic bands, T RuSi compounds provide an ideal platform for investigating the rich interplay between unconventional superconductivity and the exotic properties of Kramers nodal-line/hourglass fermions.