Heat transport as a probe of superconducting gap structure

Abstract

The structure of the superconducting gap provides important clues on the symmetry of the order parameter and the pairing mechanism. The presence of nodes in the gap function imposed by symmetry implies an unconventional order parameter, other than s-wave. Here we show how measurements of the thermal conductivity at very low temperature can be used to determine whether such nodes are present in a particular superconductor, and shed light on their nature and location. We focus on the residual linear term at T goes to 0. A finite value in zero magnetic field is strong evidence for symmetry-imposed nodes, and the dependence on impurity scattering can distinguish between a line of nodes or point nodes. Application of a magnetic field probes the low-energy quasiparticle excitations, whether associated with nodes or with a small value of the gap on some part of the Fermi surface, as in a multi-band superconductor. We frame our discussion around archetypal materials: Nb for s-wave, Tl2Ba2CuO(6+δ) for d-wave, Sr2RuO4 for p-wave, and NbSe2 for multi-band superconductivity. In that framework, we discuss three heavy-fermion superconductors: CeIrIn5, CeCoIn5 and UPt3.

10 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to New Journal of Physics, for a focus issue on "Superconductors with Exotic Symmetries"

References in corpus (4)

• Reversible Tuning of the Heavy Fermion Ground State in CeCoIn${}_5$
• Unpaired Electrons in the Heavy-Fermion Superconductor CeCoIn_{5}
• Hybrid gap structure in the heavy-fermion superconductor CeIrIn${}_5$
• Bulk evidence for single-gap s-wave superconductivity in the intercalated graphite superconductor C${}_6$Yb

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• Doping dependence of heat transport in the iron-arsenide superconductor Ba(Fe${}_{1-x}$Co${}_x$)${}_2$As${}_2$: from isotropic to strongly $k$-dependent gap structure
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• Point Node Gap Structure of Spin-Triplet Superconductor UTe2
• Quasiparticle Heat Transport in Ba${}_{1-x}$K${}_x$Fe${}_2$As${}_2$: Evidence for a k-dependent Superconducting Gap without Nodes
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• Thermal Conductivity of the Iron-Based Superconductor FeSe : Nodeless Gap with Strong Two-Band Character
• Generalized Anderson's theorem for superconductors derived from topological insulators
• Intertwined Orders in Heavy-Fermion Superconductor CeCoIn${}_5$
• Multiple nodeless superconducting gaps in noncentrosymmetric superconductor PbTaSe2 with topological bulk nodal lines
• Nodeless superconductivity in Ca3Ir4Sn13: evidence from quasiparticle heat transport
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• Thermal Transport for Probing Quantum Materials
• Nodeless superconducting gap in electron-doped BaFe${}_{1.9}$Ni${}_{0.1}$As${}_2$ probed by quasiparticle heat transport
• Multigap nodeless superconductivity in CsCa2Fe4As4F2 probed by heat transport
• Nodal gap in iron-based superconductor CsFe${}_2$As${}_2$ probed by quasiparticle heat transport
• Microwave conductivity and superfluid density in strongly overdoped Tl2201
• Nodal superconductivity and superconducting dome in new layered superconductor Ta4Pd3Te16
• Nodal superconductivity in FeS: Evidence from quasiparticle heat transport
• Transport signatures of the pseudogap critical point in the cuprate superconductor Bi${}_2$Sr${}_{2-x}$La${}_x$CuO${}_{6+\delta }$
• Thermal conductivity of overdoped BaFe${}_{1.73}$Co${}_{0.27}$As${}_2$ single crystal: Evidence for nodeless multiple superconducting gaps and interband interactions
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• Doping evolution of the superconducting gap structure in the underdoped iron arsenide Ba1-xKxFe2As2 revealed by thermal conductivity
• Anomalous thermodynamic power laws near topological transitions in nodal superconductors
• Multi-gap nodeless superconductivity in nickel chalcogenide TlNi2Se2
• Wiedemann-Franz law and abrupt change in conductivity across the pseudogap critical point of a cuprate superconductor
• Nodeless superconductivity in Ir${}_{1-x}$Pt${}_x$Te${}_2$ with strong spin-orbital coupling
• Field-angle-resolved anisotropy in superconducting CeCoIn5 using realistic Fermi surfaces
• Unconventional quantum vortex matter state hosts quantum oscillations in the underdoped high-temperature cuprate superconductors
• Superconducting gap structure of the skutterudite LaPt4Ge12 probed by specific heat and thermal transport
• Low Temperature Thermal Hall Conductivity of a Nodal Chiral Superconductor
• Superconducting Gap of UCoGe probed by Thermal Transport
• Rashba versus Kohn-Luttinger: Evolution of p-wave superconductivity in magnetized two-dimensional Fermi gas subject to spin-orbit interaction
• Doping evolution of the superconducting gap structure in heavily hole-doped Ba${}_{1-x}$K${}_x$Fe${}_2$As${}_2$: heat transport study
• Evidence for nodeless superconducting gap in NaFe${}_{1-x}$Co${}_x$As from low-temperature thermal conductivity measurements
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• Thermal conductivity in a mixed state of a superconductor at low magnetic fields
• Universal Heat Conduction in Ce1-xYbxCoIn5: Evidence for Robust Nodal d-wave Superconducting Gap
• Quantum critical quasiparticle scattering within the superconducting state of CeCoIn5
• A polarized neutron diffraction study of the field-induced magnetization in the normal and superconducting states of Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 (x=0.65)
• Field-induced quantum critical point and nodal superconductivity in the heavy-fermion superconductor Ce2PdIn8
• Multiband nodeless superconductivity near the charge-density-wave quantum critical point in ZrTe3-xSex
• Thermal Transport in Superconductors with coexisting Spin Density Wave Order
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• Josephson junction arrays as a platform for topological phases of matter
• Normal Fermi Surface in the Nodal Superconductor CeCoIn${}_5$ Revealed via Thermal Conductivity
• Nodeless superconducting gaps in Ca${}_{10}$(Pt${}_{4-\delta }$As${}_8$)((Fe${}_{1-x}$Pt${}_x$)${}_2$As${}_2$)${}_5$ probed by quasiparticle heat transport
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• Gaplessness from disorder and quantum geometry in gapped superconductors
• Sub-Phases in the Superconducting State of CeIrIn${}_5$ Revealed by Low Temperature $c$-axis Heat Transport