Type-I superconductivity in PdTe${}_2$ probed by $\mu$SR

Abstract

The Dirac semimetal PdTe${}_2$ was recently reported to be a type-I superconductor with $T_c=1.64$ K and a critical field ${\mu }_0{H}_c=13.6$ mT. Since type-I superconductivity is unexpected for binary compounds, we have conducted muon spin rotation experiments to probe the superconducting phase on the microscopic scale via its intermediate state. For crystals with a finite demagnetization factor, $N$, the intermediate state forms in applied fields $(1-N)H_c<H_a<H_c$. We have carried out transverse field muon spin rotation measurements on a thin disk-like crystal with the field perpendicular to ($N_{\perp }=0.86$) and in the plane ($N_{\parallel }=0.08$) of the disk. By analysing the $\mu$SR signal we find that the volume fraction of the normal domains grows quasi-linearly with applied field at the expense of the Meissner domain fraction. This then provides solid evidence for the intermediate state and type-I superconductivity in the bulk of PdTe${}_2$.

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