Detection of time-reversal symmetry breaking in the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Re6Zr using muon-spin spectroscopy

We have investigated the superconducting state of the noncentrosymmetric compound Re6Zr using magnetization, heat capacity, and muon-spin relaxation or rotation (μSR) measurements. Re6Zr has a superconducting transition temperature, Tc=6.75±0.05  K. Transverse-field μSR experiments, used to probe th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical review letters 2014-03, Vol.112 (10), p.107002-107002
Main Authors: Singh, R P, Hillier, A D, Mazidian, B, Quintanilla, J, Annett, J F, Paul, D McK, Balakrishnan, G, Lees, M R
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We have investigated the superconducting state of the noncentrosymmetric compound Re6Zr using magnetization, heat capacity, and muon-spin relaxation or rotation (μSR) measurements. Re6Zr has a superconducting transition temperature, Tc=6.75±0.05  K. Transverse-field μSR experiments, used to probe the superfluid density, suggest an s-wave character for the superconducting gap. However, zero and longitudinal-field μSR data reveal the presence of spontaneous static magnetic fields below Tc indicating that time-reversal symmetry is broken in the superconducting state and an unconventional pairing mechanism. An analysis of the pairing symmetries identifies the ground states compatible with time-reversal symmetry breaking.
ISSN:1079-7114
DOI:10.1103/PhysRevLett.112.107002