UTe2 has been the focus of numerous experimental and theoretical studies in recent years, as it is recognized as an odd-parity bulk superconductor. Its surface has also been probed, revealing charge density wave (CDW), pair density wave (PDW), and time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB). In this work, we propose that the interplay between the order parameters observed on the surface and in the bulk of UTe2 may be crucial in explaining some of the unusual features detected by surface probes in this material. Through a phenomenological analysis, we can account for three distinctive experimental signatures observed on the surface of UTe2: i) the apparent suppression of CDW order at the upper critical field of the bulk superconducting state; ii) the magnetic field-induced imbalance of the Fourier peaks associated with the CDW; iii) the onset of TRSB at the bulk superconducting critical temperature and its field-trainability. Furthermore, we propose specific experimental checks to validate our conjecture, which we believe could be promptly achieved.
@article{arxiv.2503.24390,
title = {Intertwining bulk and surface: the case of UTe$_2$},
author = {Andras Szabo and Aline Ramires},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2503.24390},
year = {2025}
}