Antiferromagnetism and its relation to the superconducting phases of UPt3

Exotic magnetic states in Pauli-limited superconductors

Magnetism and superconductivity compete or interact in complex and intricate ways. Here we review the special case where novel magnetic phenomena appear due to superconductivity, but do not exist without it. Such states have recently been identified in unconventional superconductors. They are different from the mere coexistence of magnetic order and superconductivity in conventional superconductors, or from competing magnetic and superconducting phases in many materials. We describe the recent progress in the study of such exotic magnetic phases, and articulate the many open questions in this field.

Magnetism in Fe-based superconductors

In this review, we present a summary of experimental studies of magnetism in Fe-based superconductors. The doping dependent phase diagram shows strong similarities to the generic phase diagram of the cuprates. Parent compounds exhibit magnetic order together with a structural phase transition, both of which are progressively suppressed with doping, allowing superconductivity to emerge. The stripe-like spin arrangement of Fe moments in the magnetically ordered state shows identical in-plane structure for the RFeAsO (R = rare earth) and AFe(2)As(2) (A = Sr, Ca, Ba, Eu and K) parent compounds, notably different than the spin configuration of the cuprates. Interestingly, Fe(1 + y)Te orders with a different spin order despite having very similar Fermi surface topology. Studies of the spin dynamics of the parent compounds show that the interactions are best characterized as anisotropic three-dimensional interactions. Despite the room temperature tetragonal structure, analysis of the low temperature spin waves under the assumption of a Heisenberg Hamiltonian indicates strong in-plane anisotropy with a significant next-nearest-neighbor interaction. For the superconducting state, a resonance, localized in both wavevector and energy, is observed in the spin excitation spectrum as for the cuprates. This resonance is observed at a wavevector compatible with a Fermi surface nesting instability independent of the magnetic ordering of the relevant parent compound. The resonance energy (E(r)) scales with the superconducting transition temperature (T(C)) as E(r) ∼ 4.9k(B)T(C), which is consistent with the canonical value of ∼ 5k(B)T(C) observed for the cuprates. Moreover, the relationship between the resonance energy and the superconducting gap, Δ, is similar to that observed for many unconventional superconductors (E(r)/2Δ ∼ 0.64).

Coexistence of competing antiferromagnetic and superconducting phases in the underdoped Ba(Fe0.953Co0.047)2As2 compound using x-ray and neutron scattering techniques

Neutron and x-ray diffraction studies show that the simultaneous first-order transition to an orthorhombic and antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordered state in BaFe2As2 splits into two transitions with Co doping. For Ba(Fe0.953Co0.047)2As2, a tetragonal-orthorhombic transition occurs at TS=60 K, followed by a second-order transition to AFM order at TN=47 K. Superconductivity occurs in the orthorhombic state below TC=17 K and coexists with AFM. Below TC, the static Fe moment is reduced along with a redistribution of low energy magnetic excitations indicating competition between coexisting superconductivity and AFM order.

Theory of equilibrium flux lattice in UPt3 under magnetic field parallel to hexagonal crystal axis

We investigate Abrikosov lattice structures in the unconventional superconductor UPt (3) under magnetic field parallel to the hexagonal crystal axis. Only the two-dimensional E2 superconducting state among the many other states of different symmetry is compatible with the recent observation [A. Huxley et al., Nature (London) 406, 160 (2000)] of the flux lattice in the A phase misaligned with crystallographic directions. It is shown that the inequality of the London penetration depths in the basal plane directions resulting from the superposition of hexagonal crystal and superconducting state anisotropies leads for E2 to a slightly distorted triangular flux lattice.

Magnetic quantum critical point and superconductivity in UPt3 doped with Pd

Transverse-field muon spin relaxation measurements have been carried out on the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt (3) doped with small amounts of Pd. We find that the critical Pd concentration for the emergence of the large-moment antiferromagnetic phase is approximately 0.6 at. %Pd. At the same Pd content, superconductivity is completely suppressed. The existence of a magnetic quantum critical point in the phase diagram, which coincides with the critical point for superconductivity, provides evidence for ferromagnetic spin-fluctuation mediated odd-parity superconductivity, which competes with antiferromagnetic order.

Evidence for a two component magnetic response in UPt3

The magnetic response of the heavy fermion superconductor UPt3 has been investigated on a microscopic scale by muon Knight shift studies. Two distinct and isotropic Knight shifts have been found for the field in the basal plane. While the volume fractions associated with the two Knight shifts are approximately equal at low and high temperatures, they show a dramatic and opposite temperature dependence around T(N). Our results are independent on the precise muon localization site. We conclude that UPt3 is characterized by a two component magnetic response.