Andreev reflection spectroscopy on the heavy-fermion superconductor PrOs₄Sb₁₂: Microscopic evidence for multiple superconducting order parameters

2011/10/24 by C. S. Turel, W. M. Yuhasz, Turel, C. S. +7
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con) #cond-mat.supr-con

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1110.5104

4 pages, 4 figures

arxiv created 2011/10/24 · arxiv updated 2011/10/25

Abstract

Point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy was performed on single crystals of the heavy-fermion superconductor PrOs₄Sb₁₂, down to 90mK and up to 3Tesla. The conductance spectra showed multiple structures, including zero-bias peaks and spectral dips, which are interpreted as signatures of multiple pairing gaps, one clearly having nodes. Samples with 2% Ru replacing Os were also measured, showing pronounced spectral humps consistent with the emergence of a non-nodal gap. Detailed analysis of the spectral evolution revealed a magnetic field-vs.-temperature phase diagram for PrOs₄Sb₁₂ characterized by two distinct superconducting order parameters.

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