Enhancement of superconducting transition temperature due to the strong antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations in the noncentrosymmetric heavy-fermion superconductor CeIrSi3: A 29Si NMR study under pressure

Non-centrosymmetric superconductor Th[Formula: see text]Be[Formula: see text]Pt[Formula: see text] and heavy-fermion U[Formula: see text]Be[Formula: see text]Pt[Formula: see text] cage compounds

Unconventional superconductivity in non-centrosymmetric superconductors has attracted a considerable amount of attention. While several lanthanide-based materials have been reported previously, the number of actinide-based systems remains small. In this work, we present the discovery of a novel cubic complex non-centrosymmetric superconductor [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text] space group). This intermetallic cage compound displays superconductivity below [Formula: see text] K, as evidenced by specific heat and resistivity data. [Formula: see text] is a type-II superconductor, which has an upper critical field [Formula: see text] T and a moderate Sommerfeld coefficient [Formula: see text] mJ [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. A non-zero density of states at the Fermi level is evident from metallic behavior in the normal state, as well as from electronic band structure calculations. The isostructural [Formula: see text] compound is a paramagnet with a moderately enhanced electronic mass, as indicated by the electronic specific heat coefficient [Formula: see text] mJ [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] and Kadowaki-Woods ratio [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] cm [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] (mJ)[Formula: see text]. Both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are crystallographically complex, each hosting 212 atoms per unit cell.

Local atomic arrangement in LaCuAl3 and LaAuAl3 by NMR and density functional theory

CeCuAl₃ and CeAuAl₃, crystallizing in the non-centrosymmetric BaNiSn₃ tetragonal structure, are known mainly for their unusual neutron scattering spectra involving additional excitations ascribed to vibron quasi-bound quantum state in CeCuAl₃ and anti-crossing of phonon and crystal field excitations in CeAuAl₃. In this work, we present results of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments on their lanthanum analogues-[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The character of NMR spectra of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and ⁶⁵Cu measured in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] is dominated by electric quadrupole interaction. The spectral parameters acquired from experimental data are confronted with values obtained from the electronic structure calculations. The results show remarkable differences for the two compounds. The [Formula: see text] spectrum in [Formula: see text] can be interpreted by a single spectral component corresponding to uniform environment of La atoms in the crystal structure, whereas for [Formula: see text] the spectrum decomposition yields a wide distribution of spectral parameters, which is not possible to explain by a single La environment, and multiple non-equivalent La positions in the crystal structure are required to interpret the spectrum.

Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking in Re-Based Superconductors

To trace the origin of time-reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) in Re-based superconductors, we performed comparative muon-spin rotation and relaxation (μSR) studies of superconducting noncentrosymmetric Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18} (T_{c}=8.8  K) and centrosymmetric Re (T_{c}=2.7  K). In Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18}, the low-temperature superfluid density and the electronic specific heat evidence a fully gapped superconducting state, whose enhanced gap magnitude and specific-heat discontinuity suggest a moderately strong electron-phonon coupling. In both Re_{0.82}Nb_{0.18} and pure Re, the spontaneous magnetic fields revealed by zero-field μSR below T_{c} indicate time-reversal symmetry breaking and thus unconventional superconductivity. The concomitant occurrence of TRSB in centrosymmetric Re and noncentrosymmetric ReT (T=transition metal), yet its preservation in the isostructural noncentrosymmetric superconductors Mg_{10}Ir_{19}B_{16} and Nb_{0.5}Os_{0.5}, strongly suggests that the local electronic structure of Re is crucial for understanding the TRSB superconducting state in Re and ReT. We discuss the superconducting order parameter symmetries that are compatible with the experimental observations.

Time-reversal symmetry-breaking in noncentrosymmetric superconductors

In this paper we examine the appearance of time-reversal symmetry-breaking (TRSB) states in the bulk and at the surface of a noncentrosymmetric superconductor. We utilize a Ginzburg-Landau theory, with coefficients derived from a microscopic model of the superconductor. We show that suppression of the triplet order parameter at the surface stabilizes a TRSB state by locally tuning the system into the bulk TRSB phase. We compare these results with those from centrosymmetric systems, and examine the appearance of a magnetization at the surface.

Strong antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling and superconducting properties: the case of noncentrosymmetric LaPtSi

In this work we aim to analyze the effect of a strong antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (ASOC) on the superconductivity of noncentrosymmetric LaPtSi. We study the energy gap structure of polycrystalline LaPtSi by using magnetic penetration depth measurements down to 0.02T _c. We observed a dirty s-wave behavior, which provides compelling evidence that the spin-singlet component of the mixed pairing state is highly dominant. This is consistent with previous results in the sense that the mere presence of a strong ASOC does not lead to unconventional behaviors. Our result also downplays LaPtSi as a good candidate for realizing time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity.

Superconductivity and spin-orbit coupling in non-centrosymmetric materials: a review

In non-centrosymmetric superconductors, where the crystal structure lacks a centre of inversion, parity is no longer a good quantum number and an electronic antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (ASOC) is allowed to exist by symmetry. If this ASOC is sufficiently large, it has profound consequences on the superconducting state. For example, it generally leads to a superconducting pairing state which is a mixture of spin-singlet and spin-triplet components. The possibility of such novel pairing states, as well as the potential for observing a variety of unusual behaviors, led to intensive theoretical and experimental investigations. Here we review the experimental and theoretical results for superconducting systems lacking inversion symmetry. Firstly we give a conceptual overview of the key theoretical results. We then review the experimental properties of both strongly and weakly correlated bulk materials, as well as two dimensional systems. Here the focus is on evaluating the effects of ASOC on the superconducting properties and the extent to which there is evidence for singlet-triplet mixing. This is followed by a more detailed overview of theoretical aspects of non-centrosymmetric superconductivity. This includes the effects of the ASOC on the pairing symmetry and the superconducting magnetic response, magneto-electric effects, superconducting finite momentum pairing states, and the potential for non-centrosymmetric superconductors to display topological superconductivity.

Multiple quantum phase transitions and superconductivity in Ce-based heavy fermions

Heavy fermions have served as prototype examples of strongly-correlated electron systems. The occurrence of unconventional superconductivity in close proximity to the electronic instabilities associated with various degrees of freedom points to an intricate relationship between superconductivity and other electronic states, which is unique but also shares some common features with high temperature superconductivity. The magnetic order in heavy fermion compounds can be continuously suppressed by tuning external parameters to a quantum critical point, and the role of quantum criticality in determining the properties of heavy fermion systems is an important unresolved issue. Here we review the recent progress of studies on Ce based heavy fermion superconductors, with an emphasis on the superconductivity emerging on the edge of magnetic and charge instabilities as well as the quantum phase transitions which occur by tuning different parameters, such as pressure, magnetic field and doping. We discuss systems where multiple quantum critical points occur and whether they can be classified in a unified manner, in particular in terms of the evolution of the Fermi surface topology.

Topological surface states in nodal superconductors

Topological superconductors have become a subject of intense research due to their potential use for technical applications in device fabrication and quantum information. Besides fully gapped superconductors, unconventional superconductors with point or line nodes in their order parameter can also exhibit nontrivial topological characteristics. This article reviews recent progress in the theoretical understanding of nodal topological superconductors, with a focus on Weyl and noncentrosymmetric superconductors and their protected surface states. Using selected examples, we review the bulk topological properties of these systems, study different types of topological surface states, and examine their unusual properties. Furthermore, we survey some candidate materials for topological superconductivity and discuss different experimental signatures of topological surface states.

Edge currents as a signature of flatbands in topological superconductors

We study nondegenerate flatbands at the surfaces of noncentrosymmetric topological superconductors by exact diagonalization of Bogoliubov-de Gennes Hamiltonians. We show that these states are strongly spin polarized and acquire a chiral dispersion when placed in contact with a ferromagnetic insulator. This chiral mode carries a large edge current which displays a singular dependence on the exchange-field strength. The contribution of other edge states to the current is comparably weak. We hence propose that the observation of the edge current can serve as a test of the presence of nondegenerate flatbands.

Vibron quasibound state in the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal heavy-fermion compound CeCuAl3

We have investigated the noncentrosymmetric tetragonal heavy-fermion antiferromagnetic compound CeCuAl3 (T(N)=2.5 K) using inelastic neutron scattering (INS). Our INS results unequivocally reveal the presence of three magnetic excitations centered at 1.3, 9.8, and 20.5 meV. These spectral features cannot be explained within the framework of crystal-electric-field models and recourse to Kramers' theorem for a 4f(1) Ce(3+) ion. To overcome these interpretational difficulties, we have generalized the vibron model of Thalmeier and Fulde for cubic CeAl(2) to tetragonal point-group symmetry with the theoretically calculated vibron form-factor. This extension provides a satisfactory explanation for the position and intensity of the three observed magnetic excitations in CeCuAl3, as well as their dependence on momentum transfer and temperature. On the basis of our analysis, we attribute the observed series of magnetic excitations to the existence of a vibron quasibound state.

Existence of Majorana fermions and topological order in nodal superconductors with spin-orbit interactions in external magnetic fields

We demonstrate that Majorana fermions exist in edges of systems and in a vortex core even for superconductors with nodal excitations such as the d-wave pairing state under a particular but realistic condition in the case with an antisymmetric spin-orbit interaction and a nonzero magnetic field below the upper critical field. We clarify that the Majorana fermion state is topologically protected in spite of the presence of bulk gapless nodal excitations, because of the existence of a nontrivial topological number. Our finding drastically enlarges target systems where we can explore the Majorana fermion state.

Spin susceptibility of noncentrosymmetric heavy-fermion superconductor CeIrSi3 under pressure: 29Si Knight-shift study on single crystal

We report 29Si NMR study on a single crystal of the heavy-fermion superconductor CeIrSi3 without an inversion symmetry along the c axis. The 29Si Knight-shift measurements under pressure have revealed that the spin susceptibility for the ab plane decreases slightly below T(c), whereas along the c axis it does not change at all. The result can be accounted for by the spin susceptibility in the superconducting state being dominated by the strong antisymmetric (Rashba-type) spin-orbit interaction that originates from the absence of an inversion center along the c axis and it being much larger than superconducting condensation energy. This is the first observation which exhibits an anisotropy of the spin susceptibility below T(c) in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor dominated by strong Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction.

Colossal enhancement of upper critical fields in noncentrosymmetric heavy fermion superconductors near quantum criticality: CeRhSi3 and CeIrSi3

Strong-coupling effects on the upper critical fields Hc2 along the c axis in the noncentrosymmetric heavy fermion superconductors near quantum criticality CeRhSi3 and CeIrSi3 are examined. For sufficiently large spin-orbit interactions due to the lack of inversion symmetry, Hc2 is mainly determined by the orbital depairing effects. From microscopic calculations taking into account the strong spin fluctuations, we show that Hc2 is extremely enhanced as the system approaches the quantum critical point, resulting in Hc2 approximately 30 T even in the case of a low transition temperature Tc(H = 0) approximately 1 K, which explains well the huge Hc2 observed in the recent experiments.