Fermi-surface-sheet dependent electron-phonon coupling in a borocarbide superconductor YNi${}_2$B${}_2$C

Abstract

We performed de Haas-van Alphen (dHvA) oscillation measurements and band-structure calculations for YNi${}_2$B${}_2$C. Our improved band structure successfully explained the origins of the large dHvA frequencies ${\hat{I}}^2$ and $\hat{I}\P$, which were inexplicable in previous works. By comparing experimental effective masses with band masses, we determined the electron-phonon coupling for each orbit. The results showed a clear Fermi-surface-sheet dependence of the electron-phonon coupling strength, especially highlighting that the coupling for the band-28 sheet is very weak, almost absent for the orbit with $B\parallel c$. This finding is consistent with previous observations of dHvA oscillations from this orbit in the mixed state down to very low fields. Amidst growing interest in high-temperature superconductivity driven by electron-phonon coupling in hydrides under high pressure, this study provides foundational data pivotal to precisely understanding electron-phonon coupling.

7 pages, 4 figures + SM (4pages, 3 figures, 1 table), accepted for publication in PRL