Shear Modulus Anomaly of Unconventional Superconductor in a Symmetry Breaking Field

Abstract

Using Ginzburg-Landau formalism, we theoretically study the isothermal shear modulus anomaly of an unconventional superconductor with a multicomponent order parameter, when the superconducting transition is split by a symmetry-breaking field. Experimental signatures are proposed for both chiral and nematic superconductors. Particularly striking is the vanishing of $C_{66}$ across the lower transition to a nematic superconducting state. Our findings can guide future experiments and shed new lights on materials such as Sr${}_2$RuO${}_4$ and $M_x$Bi${}_2$Se${}_3$.

8 pages, 2 figures; 3 pages of supplemental material

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Cited by in corpus (1)

• The absence of Ginzburg-Landau mechanism for vestigial order in the normal phase above a two-component superconductor