Superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric ZrNiAl and HfRhSn-type compounds

We report the discovery of superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric compounds HfNiAl, ZrNiAl, ZrNiGa, and HfPtAl by measuring their electrical transport and thermodynamic properties. HfNiAl, ZrNiAl, and ZrNiGa crystallize in the ZrNiAl-type crystal structure, whereas HfPtAl crystallizes in the HfRhSn-type crystal structure. Superconducting transitions for HfNiAl, ZrNiAl, ZrNiGa, and HfPtAl are observed at 1.0 K, 1.0 K, 0.42 K, and 0.58 K, respectively. Using the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg model, the zero-temperature upper critical fieldsµ₀Hc2(0) were estimated to be 0.58 T, 0.24 T, 0.08 T, and 0.34 T for HfNiAl, ZrNiAl, ZrNiGa, and HfPtAl, respectively. The observed jump in electronic heat capacity (ΔCe/γT) across the superconducting transition is 1.3, 1.3, and 1.2 for HfNiAl, ZrNiAl, and HfPtAl, respectively. After the inclusion of the spin-orbit coupling in the band structure calculations, a total of six bands for ZrNiAl, HfPtAl, and ZrNiGa, and eight bands for HfNiAl were found to cross the Fermi level. Spin-orbit coupling induced maximum splitting (ΔEASOC/k_BT_c) of the electronic bands near the Fermi level was found to be 1697, 517, 1138, and 4230 for HfNiAl, ZrNiAl, ZrNiGa, and HfPtAl, respectively. Large variation of the antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (ASOC) among these compounds provides a great opportunity to study the effects of ASOC on the superconducting pairing states.

Simultaneous Nodal Superconductivity and Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in the Noncentrosymmetric Superconductor CaPtAs

By employing a series of experimental techniques, we provide clear evidence that CaPtAs represents a rare example of a noncentrosymmetric superconductor which simultaneously exhibits nodes in the superconducting gap and broken time-reversal symmetry (TRS) in its superconducting state (below T_{c}≈1.5  K). Unlike in fully gapped superconductors, the magnetic penetration depth λ(T) does not saturate at low temperatures, but instead it shows a T^{2} dependence, characteristic of gap nodes. Both the superfluid density and the electronic specific heat are best described by a two-gap model comprising of a nodeless gap and a gap with nodes, rather than by single-band models. At the same time, zero-field muon-spin relaxation spectra exhibit increased relaxation rates below the onset of superconductivity, implying that TRS is broken in the superconducting state of CaPtAs, hence indicating its unconventional nature. Our observations suggest CaPtAs to be a new remarkable material that links two apparently disparate classes, that of TRS-breaking correlated magnetic superconductors with nodal gaps and the weakly correlated noncentrosymmetric superconductors with broken TRS, normally exhibiting only a fully gapped behavior.

Hybridization Dynamics in CeCoIn_{5} Revealed by Ultrafast Optical Spectroscopy

We investigate the quasiparticle dynamics in the prototypical heavy fermion CeCoIn_{5} using ultrafast optical pump-probe spectroscopy. Our results indicate that this material system undergoes hybridization fluctuations before the establishment of heavy electron coherence, as the temperature decreases from ∼120  K (T^{†}) to ∼55  K (T^{*}). We reveal that the anomalous coherent phonon softening and damping reduction below T^{*} are directly associated with the emergence of collective hybridization. We also discover a distinct collective mode with an energy of ∼8  meV, which may be experimental evidence of the predicted unconventional density wave. Our findings provide important information for understanding the hybridization dynamics in heavy fermion systems.

Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in Re-Based Superconductors

To trace the origin of time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) in Re-based superconductors, we performed comparative muon-spin rotation and relaxation (μSR) studies of superconducting noncentrosymmetric Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18} (T_{c}=8.8  K) and centrosymmetric Re (T_{c}=2.7  K). In Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18}, the low-temperature superfluid density and the electronic specific heat evidence a fully gapped superconducting state, whose enhanced gap magnitude and specific-heat discontinuity suggest a moderately strong electron-phonon coupling. In both Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18} and pure Re, the spontaneous magnetic fields revealed by zero-field μSR below T_{c} indicate time-reversal symmetry breaking and thus unconventional superconductivity. The concomitant occurrence of TRSB in centrosymmetric Re and noncentrosymmetric ReT (T=transition metal), yet its preservation in the isostructural noncentrosymmetric superconductors Mg_{10}Ir_{19}B_{16} and Nb_{0.5}Os_{0.5}, strongly suggests that the local electronic structure of Re is crucial for understanding the TRSB superconducting state in Re and ReT. We discuss the superconducting order parameter symmetries that are compatible with the experimental observations.

Evidence for Weyl fermions in a canonical heavy-fermion semimetal YbPtBi

The manifestation of Weyl fermions in strongly correlated electron systems is of particular interest. We report evidence for Weyl fermions in the heavy fermion semimetal YbPtBi from electronic structure calculations, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, magnetotransport and calorimetric measurements. At elevated temperatures where 4f-electrons are localized, there are triply degenerate points, yielding Weyl nodes in applied magnetic fields. These are revealed by a contribution from the chiral anomaly in the magnetotransport, which at low temperatures becomes negligible due to the influence of electronic correlations. Instead, Weyl fermions are inferred from the topological Hall effect, which provides evidence for a Berry curvature, and a cubic temperature dependence of the specific heat, as expected from the linear dispersion near the Weyl nodes. The results suggest that YbPtBi is a Weyl heavy fermion semimetal, where the Kondo interaction renormalizes the bands hosting Weyl points. These findings open up an opportunity to explore the interplay between topology and strong electronic correlations.

Single crystal growth and anisotropic physical properties of Sm4Co3Ga16

We have synthesized high quality single crystals of Sm₄Co₃Ga₁₆ with gallium flux and investigated its physical properties with electrical resistivity, magnetization and specific-heat measurements. Antiferromagnetic transition below 6.7 K has been detected. No superconducting transitions have been dectected down to 0.5 K from our single crystals. Based on our experimental result, Sm³⁺ state in Sm₄Co₃Ga₁₆ is likely well localized, in which stable magnetic moment in its doubly degenerated ground state contributes to the magnetic order with little interference of Kondo type of interaction.

Band Dependent Interlayer f-Electron Hybridization in CeRhIn_{5}

A key issue in heavy fermion research is how subtle changes in the hybridization between the 4f (5f) and conduction electrons can result in fundamentally different ground states. CeRhIn_{5} stands out as a particularly notable example: when replacing Rh with either Co or Ir, antiferromagnetism gives way to superconductivity. In this photoemission study of CeRhIn_{5}, we demonstrate that the use of resonant angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy with polarized light allows us to extract detailed information on the 4f crystal field states and details on the 4f and conduction electron hybridization, which together determine the ground state. We directly observe weakly dispersive Kondo resonances of f electrons and identify two of the three Ce 4f_{5/2}^{1} crystal-electric-field levels and band-dependent hybridization, which signals that the hybridization occurs primarily between the Ce 4f states in the CeIn_{3} layer and two more three-dimensional bands composed of the Rh 4d and In 5p orbitals in the RhIn_{2} layer. Our results allow us to connect the properties observed at elevated temperatures with the unusual low-temperature properties of this enigmatic heavy fermion compound.

Disruption of the Accidental Dirac Semimetal State in ZrTe_{5} under Hydrostatic Pressure

We study the effect of hydrostatic pressure on the magnetotransport properties of zirconium pentatelluride. The magnitude of resistivity anomaly gets enhanced with increasing pressure, but the transition temperature T^{*} is insensitive to it up to 2.5 GPa. In the case of H∥b, the quasilinear magnetoresistance decreases drastically from 3300% (9 T) at ambient pressure to 230% (9 T) at 2.5 GPa. Besides, the change of the quantum oscillation phase from topological nontrivial to trivial is revealed around 2 GPa. Both demonstrate that the pressure breaks the accidental Dirac node in ZrTe_{5}. For H∥c, in contrast, subtle changes can be seen in the magnetoresistance and quantum oscillations. In the presence of pressure, ZrTe_{5} evolves from a highly anisotropic to a nearly isotropic electronic system, which accompanies the disruption of the accidental Dirac semimetal state. It supports the assumption that ZrTe_{5} is a semi-3D Dirac system with linear dispersion along two directions and a quadratic one along the third.

Superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling in non-centrosymmetric materials: a review

In non-centrosymmetric superconductors, where the crystal structure lacks a centre of inversion, parity is no longer a good quantum number and an electronic antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (ASOC) is allowed to exist by symmetry. If this ASOC is sufficiently large, it has profound consequences on the superconducting state. For example, it generally leads to a superconducting pairing state which is a mixture of spin-singlet and spin-triplet components. The possibility of such novel pairing states, as well as the potential for observing a variety of unusual behaviors, led to intensive theoretical and experimental investigations. Here we review the experimental and theoretical results for superconducting systems lacking inversion symmetry. Firstly we give a conceptual overview of the key theoretical results. We then review the experimental properties of both strongly and weakly correlated bulk materials, as well as two dimensional systems. Here the focus is on evaluating the effects of ASOC on the superconducting properties and the extent to which there is evidence for singlet-triplet mixing. This is followed by a more detailed overview of theoretical aspects of non-centrosymmetric superconductivity. This includes the effects of the ASOC on the pairing symmetry and the superconducting magnetic response, magneto-electric effects, superconducting finite momentum pairing states, and the potential for non-centrosymmetric superconductors to display topological superconductivity.

Multiple quantum phase transitions and superconductivity in Ce-based heavy fermions

Heavy fermions have served as prototype examples of strongly-correlated electron systems. The occurrence of unconventional superconductivity in close proximity to the electronic instabilities associated with various degrees of freedom points to an intricate relationship between superconductivity and other electronic states, which is unique but also shares some common features with high temperature superconductivity. The magnetic order in heavy fermion compounds can be continuously suppressed by tuning external parameters to a quantum critical point, and the role of quantum criticality in determining the properties of heavy fermion systems is an important unresolved issue. Here we review the recent progress of studies on Ce based heavy fermion superconductors, with an emphasis on the superconductivity emerging on the edge of magnetic and charge instabilities as well as the quantum phase transitions which occur by tuning different parameters, such as pressure, magnetic field and doping. We discuss systems where multiple quantum critical points occur and whether they can be classified in a unified manner, in particular in terms of the evolution of the Fermi surface topology.

Two-Gap Superconductivity in LaNiGa_{2} with Nonunitary Triplet Pairing and Even Parity Gap Symmetry

The nature of the pairing states of superconducting LaNiC_{2} and LaNiGa_{2} has to date remained a puzzling question. Broken time reversal symmetry has been observed in both compounds and a group theoretical analysis implies a nonunitary triplet pairing state. However, all the allowed nonunitary triplet states have nodal gap functions but most thermodynamic and NMR measurements indicate fully gapped superconductivity in LaNiC_{2}. Here we probe the gap symmetry of LaNiGa_{2} by measuring the London penetration depth, specific heat, and upper critical field. These measurements demonstrate two-gap nodeless superconductivity in LaNiGa_{2}, suggesting that this is a common feature of both compounds. These results allow us to propose a novel triplet superconducting state, where the pairing occurs between electrons of the same spin, but on different orbitals. In this case the superconducting wave function has a triplet spin component but isotropic even parity gap symmetry, yet the overall wave function remains antisymmetric under particle exchange. This model leads to a nodeless two-gap superconducting state which breaks time reversal symmetry, and therefore accounts well for the seemingly contradictory experimental results.

Crossover from a heavy fermion to intermediate valence state in noncentrosymmetric Yb2Ni12(P,As)7

We report measurements of the physical properties and electronic structure of the hexagonal compounds Yb₂Ni₁₂Pn₇ (Pn = P, As) by measuring the electrical resistivity, magnetization, specific heat and partial fluorescence yield x-ray absorption spectroscopy (PFY-XAS). These demonstrate a crossover upon reducing the unit cell volume, from an intermediate valence state in Yb₂Ni₁₂As₇ to a heavy-fermion paramagnetic state in Yb₂Ni₁₂P₇, where the Yb is nearly trivalent. Application of pressure to Yb₂Ni₁₂P₇ suppresses T_FL, the temperature below which Fermi liquid behavior is recovered, suggesting the presence of a quantum critical point (QCP) under pressure. However, while there is little change in the Yb valence of Yb₂Ni₁₂P₇ up to 30 GPa, there is a strong increase for Yb₂Ni₁₂As₇ under pressure, before a near constant value is reached. These results indicate that any magnetic QCP in this system is well separated from strong valence fluctuations. The pressure dependence of the valence and lattice parameters of Yb₂Ni₁₂As₇ are compared and at 1 GPa, there is an anomaly in the unit cell volume as well as a change in the slope of the Yb valence, indicating a correlation between structural and electronic changes.

Evidence for nodeless superconductivity in NdO(1-x)F(x)BiS2 (x = 0.3 and 0.5) single crystals

We study the superconducting pairing states of NdO(1-x)F(x)BiS2 (x = 0.3 and 0.5) by measuring the magnetic penetration depth Δλ(T) using the tunnel-diode-oscillator (TDO) technique. An upturn is observed in Δλ(T) as well as the magnetic susceptibility χ(T) in the low-temperature limit, which is attributed to the paramagnetism of Nd ions. After subtracting the paramagnetic contributions, the penetration depth Δλ(T) follows an exponential-type temperature dependence at T ≪ T(c), providing evidence of nodeless superconductivity for NdO(1-x)F(x)BiS2. This is further supported by the analyses of superfluid density ρ(s)(T), which can be well described by a BCS model with an energy gap of Δ(0) ∼ 2.15 k(B)T(c).

Reemergent superconductivity and avoided quantum criticality in Cd-doped CeIrIn(5) under pressure

We investigated the electrical resistivity and heat capacity of 1% Cd-doped CeIrIn_{5} under hydrostatic pressure up to 2.7 GPa, near where long-range antiferromagnetic order is suppressed and bulk superconductivity suddenly reemerges. The pressure-induced T_{c} is close to that of pristine CeIrIn_{5} at 2.7 GPa, and no signatures of a quantum critical point under pressure support a local origin of the antiferromagnetic moments in Cd-CeIrIn_{5} at ambient pressure. Similarities between superconductors CeIrIn_{5} and CeCoIn_{5} in response to Cd substitutions suggest a common magnetic mechanism.

Superconductivity and structural distortion in BaPt2As2

We report the synthesis of BaPt2As2 single crystals and the discovery of superconductivity and a structural phase transition in this compound by measuring the electrical resistivity, magnetic susceptibility and specific heat as well as the x-ray diffraction at low temperatures. BaPt2As2 crystallizes in the CaBe2Ge2-type tetragonal structure (P4/nmm) at room temperature and undergoes a first-order structural transition at TS ≃ 275 K, which is likely to be associated with a charge-density-wave (CDW) instability. BCS-like superconductivity with two subsequent transitions Tc1 ≃ 1.67 K and Tc2 ≃ 1.33 K is observed. Our results demonstrate that BaPt2As2 may serve as a new system for studying the interplay of superconductivity and the CDW order.

Tunable magnetic orders in CePd2As2-xPx

We report the successful synthesis of the polycrystalline compounds CePd2As2-xPx (0 ≤ x ≤ 2) and their physical properties by measuring transport, magnetic and thermodynamic behaviors as a function of temperature and/or magnetic field. Powder x-ray diffraction indicates that CePd2As2-xPx crystallizes in the ThCr2Si2-type tetragonal structure. CePd2As2 exhibits a moderate Sommerfeld coefficient of γ ≈ 88 mJ mol(-1) K(-2), and undergoes an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition at the Néel temperature TN ≈ 15 K. Upon substituting As with P, the TN is nearly unchanged up to x ≃ 0.6, while a ferromagnetic (FM) transition develops below TN for x ≃ 0.4. The Curie temperature TC increases with increasing x and eventually merges with the AFM transition at x ≃ 0.6. With further increase of x, the system follows typical FM behaviors and its TC monotonically increases and reaches TC ≈ 28 K in CePd2P2. Moreover, a metamagnetic transition is observed in the As-rich samples, but vanishes for x ≥ 0.4. Such a tunable magnetic ground state may provide an opportunity to explore the possible quantum critical behavior in CePd2As2-xPx.

Ultrafast pump-probe study of phase separation and competing orders in the underdoped (Ba,K)Fe2As2 superconductor

We report measurements of quasiparticle relaxation dynamics in the high-temperature superconductor (Ba,K)Fe2As2 in optimally doped, underdoped, and undoped regimes. In the underdoped sample, spin-density wave (SDW) order forms at approximately 85 K, followed by superconductivity at approximately 28 K. We find the emergence of a normal-state order that suppresses SDW at a temperature T{*} approximately 60 K and argue that this normal-state order is a precursor to superconductivity.

Superconducting properties of the Fe-based layered superconductor LaFeAsO0.9F0.1-delta

We have employed a new route to synthesize single phase F-doped LaOFeAs compound and confirmed the superconductivity above 20 K in this Fe-based system. We show that the new superconductor has a rather high upper critical field of over 50 T. A clear signature of superconducting gap opening below T(c) was observed in the far-infrared reflectance spectra, with 2Delta/kT(c) approximately 3.5-4.2. Furthermore, we show that the new superconductor has electron-type conducting carriers with a rather low-carrier density.

Metallic state in cubic FeGe beyond its quantum phase transition

We report on results of electrical resistivity and structural investigations on the cubic modification of FeGe under high pressure. The long-wavelength helical order (T(C) = 280 K) is suppressed at a critical pressure p(c) approximately 19 GPa. An anomaly at T(X)(p) and strong deviations from a Fermi-liquid behavior in a wide pressure range above p(c) suggest that the suppression of T(C) disagrees with the standard notion of a quantum critical phase transition. The metallic ground state persisting at high pressure can be described by band-structure calculations if zero-point motion is included. The shortest FeGe interatomic distance display discontinuous changes in the pressure dependence close to the T(C)(p) phase line.

S-wave spin-triplet order in superconductors without inversion symmetry: Li2Pd3B and Li2Pt3B

We investigate the order parameter of noncentrosymmetric superconductors Li2Pd3B and Li2Pt3B via the behavior of the penetration depth lambda(T). The low-temperature penetration depth shows BCS-like behavior in Li2Pd3B, while in Li2Pt3B it follows a linear temperature dependence. We propose that broken inversion symmetry and the accompanying antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling, which admix spin-singlet and spin-triplet pairing, are responsible for this behavior. The triplet contribution is weak in Li2Pd3B, leading to a wholly open but anisotropic gap. The significantly larger spin-orbit coupling in Li2Pt3B allows the spin-triplet component to be larger in Li2Pt3B, producing line nodes in the energy gap as evidenced by the linear temperature dependence of lambda(T). The experimental data are in quantitative agreement with theory.

Hidden magnetism and quantum criticality in the heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5

With only a few exceptions that are well understood, conventional superconductivity does not coexist with long-range magnetic order (for example, ref. 1). Unconventional superconductivity, on the other hand, develops near a phase boundary separating magnetically ordered and magnetically disordered phases. A maximum in the superconducting transition temperature T(c) develops where this boundary extrapolates to zero Kelvin, suggesting that fluctuations associated with this magnetic quantum-critical point are essential for unconventional superconductivity. Invariably, though, unconventional superconductivity masks the magnetic phase boundary when T < T(c), preventing proof of a magnetic quantum-critical point. Here we report specific-heat measurements of the pressure-tuned unconventional superconductor CeRhIn5 in which we find a line of quantum-phase transitions induced inside the superconducting state by an applied magnetic field. This quantum-critical line separates a phase of coexisting antiferromagnetism and superconductivity from a purely unconventional superconducting phase, and terminates at a quantum tetracritical point where the magnetic field completely suppresses superconductivity. The T --> 0 K magnetic field-pressure phase diagram of CeRhIn5 is well described with a theoretical model developed to explain field-induced magnetism in the high-T(c) copper oxides, but in which a clear delineation of quantum-phase boundaries has not been possible. These experiments establish a common relationship among hidden magnetism, quantum criticality and unconventional superconductivity in copper oxides and heavy-electron systems such as CeRhIn5.

Non-Fermi liquid states in the pressurized CeCu2(Si1-xGex)2 system: two critical points

In the archetypal strongly correlated electron superconductor CeCu2Si2 and its Ge-substituted alloys CeCu2(Si1-xGex)2 two quantum phase transitions--one magnetic and one of so far unknown origin-can be crossed as a function of pressure. We examine the associated anomalous normal state by detailed measurements of the low temperature resistivity (rho) power-law exponent alpha. At the lower critical point (at pcl, 1<or=alpha<or=1.5) alpha depends strongly on Ge concentration x and thereby on disorder level, consistent with a Hlubina-Rice-Rosch scenario of critical scattering off antiferromagnetic fluctuations. By contrast, alpha is independent of x at the upper quantum phase transition (at pc2, alpha approximately equal to 1), suggesting critical scattering from local or q=0 modes, in agreement with a density- or valence-fluctuation approach.

Observation of Two Distinct Superconducting Phases in CeCu 2 Si 2

We report the presence of two disconnected superconducting domes in the pressure-temperature phase diagram of partially germanium-substituted CeCu2Si2. The lower density superconducting dome lies on the threshold of antiferromagnetic order, indicating magnetically mediated pairing, whereas the higher density superconducting regime straddles a weakly first-order volume collapse, suggesting a pairing interaction based on spatially extended density fluctuations. Two distinct pairing mechanisms thus appear to operate in the single, wide, superconducting range of stoichiometric CeCu2Si2, both of which might apply more generally to other classes of correlated electron systems.

Superconductivity in the filled cage compounds Ba6Ge25 and Ba4Na2Ge25

The clathrate compound Ba 6Ge25 and its relatives consist of a rigid germanium skeleton, into which barium or other metal atoms are coordinated. These guest atoms can "rattle" freely at high temperatures, but in Ba 6Ge25 some of them lock randomly into split positions below T(S) approximately 200 K. The resulting bad metal undergoes a BCS-like superconducting transition at T(c) approximately 0.24 K. T(c) increases more than 16-fold, as T(S) is suppressed by hydrostatic pressure p, but changes only slightly with p from T(c) approximately 0.84 K in the undistorted sister compound Ba 4Na2Ge25. The large enhancement of T(c) in Ba 6Ge25 may be attributed mainly to the pressure tuning of strong disorder caused by the random displacement of Ba atoms at T(S).