The transition between real and complex superconducting order parameter phases in UPt3

Science. 2010 Jun 11;328(5984):1368-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1187943.

Abstract

Order parameter symmetry is one of the basic characteristics of a superconductor. The heavy fermion compound UPt3 provides a rich system for studying the competition between superconductivity and other forms of electronic order and exhibits two distinct superconducting phases that are characterized by different symmetries. We fabricated a series of Josephson tunnel junctions on the as-grown surfaces of UPt3 single crystals spanning the a-b plane. By measuring their critical current, we mapped out the magnitude of the superconducting order parameter as a function of the momentum-space direction and temperature. In the high-temperature phase, we observed a sharp node in the superconducting gap at 45 degrees with respect to the a axis; an out-of-phase component appeared in the low-temperature phase, creating a complex order parameter.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.