English

Limits on Superconductivity-Related Magnetization in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ and PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ from Scanning SQUID Microscopy

Superconductivity 2015-05-18 v1

Abstract

We present scanning SQUID microscopy data on the superconductors Sr2RuO4 (Tc = 1.5 K) and PrOs4_4Sb12_{12} (Tc = 1.8 K). In both of these materials, superconductivity-related time-reversal symmetry-breaking fields have been observed by muon spin rotation; our aim was to visualize the structure of these fields. However in neither Sr2_2RuO4_4 nor PrOs4_4Sb12_{12} do we observe spontaneous superconductivity-related magnetization. In Sr2_2RuO4_4, many experimental results have been interpreted on the basis of a px±ipypx \pm ipy superconducting order parameter. This order parameter is expected to give spontaneous magnetic induction at sample edges and order parameter domain walls. Supposing large domains, our data restrict domain wall and edge fields to no more than ~0.1% and ~0.2% of the expected magnitude, respectively. Alternatively, if the magnetization is of the expected order, the typical domain size is limited to ~30 nm for random domains, or ~500 nm for periodic domains.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1003.2189,
  title  = {Limits on Superconductivity-Related Magnetization in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$ and PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ from Scanning SQUID Microscopy},
  author = {Clifford W. Hicks and John R. Kirtley and Thomas M. Lippman and Nicholas C. Koshnick and Martin E. Huber and Yoshiteru Maeno and William M. Yuhasz and M. Brian Maple and Kathryn A. Moler},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1003.2189},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

8 pages, 7 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. B