Multigap superconductivity in RbCa2Fe4As4F2 investigated using muSR measurements

Abstract

The superconducting properties of the recently discovered double Fe${}_2$As${}_2$ layered high-$T_c$ superconductor RbCa${}_2$Fe${}_4$As${}_4$F${}_2$ with $T_c\approx$ 30~K have been investigated using magnetization, heat capacity, transverse-field (TF) and zero-field (ZF) muon-spin rotation/relaxation ($\mu$SR) measurements. Our low field magnetization measurements and heat capacity (C${}_p$) reveal an onset of bulk superconductivity with $T_{\mathbf{c}}\sim$ 30.0(4) K. Furthermore, the heat capacity exhibits a jump at $T_{\mathbf{c}}$ of $\Delta$C${}_p$/$T_{\mathbf{c}}$=94.6 (mJ/mole-K${}^2$) and no clear effect of applied magnetic fields was observed on C${}_p$(T) up to 9 T between 2 K and 5 K. Our analysis of the TF-$\mu$SR results shows that the temperature dependence of the magnetic penetration depth is better described by a two-gap model, either isotropic $s$+$s$-wave or $s$+$d$-wave than a single gap isotropic $s$-wave or $d$-wave model for the superconducting gap. The presence of two superconducting gaps in RbCa${}_2$Fe${}_4$As${}_4$F${}_2$ suggests a multiband nature of the superconductivity, which is consistent with the multigap superconductivity observed in other Fe-based superconductors, including ACa${}_2$Fe${}_4$As${}_4$F${}_2$ (A=K and Cs). Furthermore, from our TF-$\mu$SR study we have estimated an in-plane penetration depth ${\lambda }_{\mathrm{ab}}$$(0)$ =231.5(3) nm, superconducting carrier density $n_s=7.45\times 10^{26}$m${}^{-3}$, and carrier's effective-mass $m^{\ast }$ = 2.45\textit{m}${}_e$. Our ZF $\mu$SR measurements do not reveal a clear sign of time reversal symmetry breaking at $T_{\mathbf{c}}$, but the temperature dependent relaxation between 150 K and 1.2 K might indicate the presence of spin-fluctuations. The results of our present study have been compared with those reported for other Fe pnictide superconductors.

10 pages, 7 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1706.03641