July 11, 2004
In the last few years the gap symmetries of many new superconductors,including Sr$_2$RuO$_4$, CeCoIn$_5$, $\kappa$-(ET)$_{2}$Cu(NCS)$_{2}$, YNi$_{2}$B$_{2}$C and PrOs$_{4}$Sb$_{12}$, have been identified via angle-dependent magnetothermal conductivity measurements. However, a controversy still persists as to the nature of the superconductivity in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$. For PrOs$_{4}$Sb$_{12}$, spin-triplet superconductivity has recently been proposed. Here, we also propose g-wave superconductivity for UPd$_2$Al$_3$ (i.e., $\Delta({\bf k})=\Delta\cos(2\chi), \chi = ck_{z}$) based on recent thermal conductivity data.
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July 11, 2004
The angle dependent thermal conductivity of the heavy-fermion superconductor UPd$_2$Al$_3$ in the vortex state was recently measured by Watanabe et al. Here we analyze this data from two perspectives: universal heat conduction and the angle-dependence. We conclude that the superconducting gap function $\Delta({\bf k})$ in UPd$_2$Al$_3$ has horizontal nodes and is given by $\Delta({\bf k}) =\Delta\cos(2\chi)$, with $\chi = ck_{z}$.
May 11, 2004
The superconducting gap structure of heavy fermion UPd_2Al_3, in which unconventional superconductivity coexists with antiferromagnetic (AF) order with atomic size local moments, was investigated by the thermal conductivity measurements in a magnetic field rotating in various directions relative to the crystal axes. The results provide strong evidence that the gap function \Delta(k) has a single line node orthogonal to the c-axis located at the AF Brillouin zone boundary, whi...
September 19, 2001
There are now many nodal superconductors in heavy fermion (HF) systems, charge conjugated organic metals, high Tc cuprates and ruthenates. On the other hand only few of them have a well established gap function. We present here a study of the angular dependent thermal conductivity in the vortex state of some of the nodal superconductors. We hope it will help to identify the nodal directions in the gap function of UPd_2Al_3, UNi_2Al_3, UBe_13 and URu_2Si_2.
May 5, 2004
Since 1979, many new classes of superconductors have been discovered, including heavy-fermion compounds, organic conductors, high-Tc cuprates, and Sr2RuO4. Most of these superconductors are unconventional and/or nodal. Therefore it is of central importance to determine the symmetry of the order parameter in each of these superconductors. In particular, the angular-controlled thermal conductivity in the vortex state provides a unique means of investigating the nodal structure ...
November 14, 2006
Over the past two decades, unconventional superconductivity with gap symmetry other than s-wave has been found in several classes of materials, including heavy fermion (HF), high-T_c, and organic superconductors. Unconventional superconductivity is characterized by anisotropic superconducting gap functions, which may have zeros (nodes) along certain directions in the Brillouin zone. The nodal structure is closely related to the pairing interaction, and it is widely believed t...
August 11, 2004
Here we consider the universal heat conduction and the angular dependent thermal conductivity in the vortex state for a few nodal superconductors. We present the thermal conductivity as a function of impurity concentration and the angular dependent thermal conductivity in a few nodal superconductors. This provides further insight in the gap symmetry of superconductivity in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ and UPd$_2$Al$_3$.
October 15, 2016
We present the group-thoretical classification of gap functions in superconductors coexisting with some magnetic order in non-symmorphic magnetic space groups. Based on the weak-coupling BCS theory, we show that UCoGe-type ferromagnetic superconductors must have horizontal line nodes on either $k_z=0$ or $\pm\pi/c$ plane. Moreover, it is likely that additional Weyl point nodes exist at the axial point. On the other hand, in UPd$_2$Al$_3$-type antiferromagnetic superconductors...
April 11, 2016
We propose a spectroscopic method to identify the nodal gap structure in unconventional superconductors. This method best suits for locating the horizontal line node and for pinpointing the isolated point nodes by measuring polar angle ($\theta$) resolved zero energy density of states $N(\theta)$. This is measured by specific heat or thermal conductivity at low temperatures under a magnetic field. We examine a variety of uniaxially symmetric nodal structure, including point a...
November 1, 2004
This paper provides an analysis of neutron inelastic scattering experiments on single crystals of UPd2Al3. The emphasis is on establishing robust, general, inferences on the joint antiferromagnetic-superconducting state which characterises UPd2Al3 at low temperatures. A distinction is drawn between these conclusions and various theoretical perspectives of a more model sensitive nature that have been raised in the literature.
April 2, 2009
The structure of the superconducting gap provides important clues on the symmetry of the order parameter and the pairing mechanism. The presence of nodes in the gap function imposed by symmetry implies an unconventional order parameter, other than s-wave. Here we show how measurements of the thermal conductivity at very low temperature can be used to determine whether such nodes are present in a particular superconductor, and shed light on their nature and location. We focus ...