Quantitative theory of triplet pairing in the unconventional superconductor LaNiGa2
The exceptionally low-symmetry crystal structures of the time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductors LaNiC2 and LaNiGa2 lead to an internally antisymmetric nonunitary triplet state as the only possibility compatible with experiments. We argue that this state has a distinct signature: A double-pe...
| Autores: | , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2020 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona |
| Repositorio: | Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:ddd.uab.cat:230705 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://ddd.uab.cat/record/230705 https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.101.100506 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Adjustable parameters Critical temperatures Electronic band structure Electronic specific heat Low symmetry crystals Superconducting state Time reversal symmetries Unconventional superconductors |
| Sumario: | The exceptionally low-symmetry crystal structures of the time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconductors LaNiC2 and LaNiGa2 lead to an internally antisymmetric nonunitary triplet state as the only possibility compatible with experiments. We argue that this state has a distinct signature: A double-peak structure in the density of states (DOS) which resolves in the spin channel in a particular way. We construct a detailed model of LaNiGa2 capturing its electronic band structure and magnetic properties ab initio. The pairing mechanism is described via a single adjustable parameter. The latter is fixed by the critical temperature Tc allowing parameter-free predictions. We compute the electronic specific heat and find excellent agreement with experiment. The size of the ordered moment in the superconducting state is compatible with zero-field muon spin relaxation experiments and the predicted spin-resolved DOS suggests the spin splitting is within the reach of present experimental technology. |
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