English

Time-reversal symmetry breaking in frustrated superconductor Re$_2$Hf

Superconductivity 2022-08-17 v1

Abstract

Geometrical frustration leads to novel quantum phenomena such as the spin-liquid phase in triangular and Kagom\'e lattices. Intra-band and inter-band Fermi surface (FS) nesting can drive unique superconducting (SC) ground states with dd-wave and s±s^{\pm} pairing symmetries, respectively, according to the criterion that the SC gap changes sign across the nesting wavevector. For an odd number of FSs, when multiple inter-band nesting is of comparable strength, the sign-reversal criterion between different FS sheets can leads to frustration, which promotes novel SC order parameters. Here we report the experimental observation of a time-reversal symmetry breaking pairing state in Re2_2Hf resulting from FS nesting frustration. Furthermore, our electronic specific heat and transverse-field μ\muSR experiments suggest a fully gaped pairing symmetry. The first-principle electronic structure calculation reveals multiple Fermi surface sheets with comparable inter-band nesting strength. Implementing the {\it ab-initio} band structure, we compute spin-fluctuation mediated SC pairing symmetry which reveals a s+iss+is'-pairing state - consistent with experimental observations. Our investigation demonstrates a novel SC state which provides a putative setting for both applied and fundamental study.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2201.06075,
  title  = {Time-reversal symmetry breaking in frustrated superconductor Re$_2$Hf},
  author = {Manasi Manda and Anshu Kataria and Chandan Patra and D. Singh and P. K. Biswas and A. D. Hillier and Tanmoy Das and R. P. Singh},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2201.06075},
  year   = {2022}
}

Comments

6 pages, 4 figures