Observation of broken time-reversal symmetry in the heavy fermion superconductor UPt\(_3\)

The symmetry properties of the order parameter characterize different phases of unconventional superconductors. In the case of the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt\(_3\), a key question is whether its multiple superconducting phases preserve or break time-reversal symmetry (TRS). We tested for asymm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2014-10
Main Authors: Schemm, E R, Gannon, W J, Wishne, C M, Halperin, W P, Kapitulnik, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Asymmetry
Breaking
Circular polarization
Fermions
Heavy fermion superconductors
Order parameters
Polarized light
Single crystals
Superconductivity
Superconductors
Symmetry
Unconventional superconductors
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Summary:The symmetry properties of the order parameter characterize different phases of unconventional superconductors. In the case of the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt\(_3\), a key question is whether its multiple superconducting phases preserve or break time-reversal symmetry (TRS). We tested for asymmetry in the phase shift between left and right circularly polarized light reflected from a single crystal of UPt\(_3\) at normal incidence, finding that this so-called polar Kerr effect appears only below the lower of the two zero-field superconducting transition temperatures. Our results provide evidence for broken TRS in the low-temperature superconducting phase of UPt\(_3\), implying a complex two-component order parameter for superconductivity in this system.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.1410.1482