Low-temperature crystal structure of the unconventional spin-triplet superconductor UTe2 from single-crystal neutron diffraction

Abstract

The crystal structure of a new superconductor UTe2 has been investigated using single-crystal neutron diffraction for the first time at the low temperature (LT) of 2.7 K, just above the superconducting transition temperature of ∼1.6 K, in order to clarify whether the orthorhombic structure of type Immm (No. 71), reported for the room-temperature (RT) structure persists down to the superconducting phase and can be considered as a parent symmetry for the development of spin-triplet superconductivity. In contrast to the previously reported phase transition at about 100 K [Stöwe (1996). J. Solid State Chem. 127, 202–210], our high-precision LT neutron diffraction data show that the body-centred RT symmetry is indeed maintained down to 2.7 K. No sign of a structural change from RT down to 2.7 K was observed. The most significant change depending on temperature was observed for the U ion position and the U–U distance along the c direction, implying its potential importance as a magnetic interaction path. No magnetic order could be deduced from the neutron diffraction data refinement at 2.7 K, consistent with bulk magnetometry. Assuming normal thermal evolution of the lattice parameters, moderately large linear thermal expansion coefficients of about α = 2.8 (7) × 10−5 K−1 are estimated.