The transition between real and complex superconducting order parameter phases in UPt3.
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.
Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. strand2@illinois.edu
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Strand
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Van Harlingen
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Davis
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Gannon
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Halperin