The kagome lattice1, which is the most prominent structural motif in quantum physics, benefits from inherent non-trivial geometry so that it can host diverse quantum phases, ranging from spin-liquid phases, to topological matter, to intertwined orders2, 3,4,5,6,7,8 and, most rarely, to unconventional su-perconductivity6,9. Recently, charge sensitive probes have indicated that the kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs)9,10,11 exhibit unconventional chiral charge order12, 13,14,15,16,17,18,19, which is analogous to the long-sought-after quantum order in the Haldane model20 or Varma model21. However, direct evidence for the time-reversal symmetry breaking of the charge order remains elusive. Here we use muon spin relaxation to probe the kagome charge order and superconductivity in KV3Sb5. We observe a noticeable enhancement of the internal field width sensed by the muon ensemble, which takes place just below the charge ordering temperature and persists into the superconducting state. Notably, the muon spin relaxation rate below the charge ordering temperature is substantially enhanced by applying an external magnetic field. We further show the multigap nature of superconductivity in KV3Sb5 and that the Tc/−2ab ratio (where Tc is the superconducting transition temperature and ab is the magnetic penetration depth in the kagome plane) is comparable to those of unconventional high-temperature superconductors. Our results point to time-reversal symmetry-breaking charge order intertwining with unconventional superconductivity in the correlated kagome lattice.
or most of its history, the superconductivity of strontium ruthenate (Sr 2 RuO 4) (ref. 1) has been understood in terms of an odd-parity two-component order parameter with equal-spin pairing in the RuO 2 planes: p x ± ip y (refs. 2-5). This order parameter is chiral: the Cooper pairs have angular momentum l = ±1. The evidence for chirality comes from the zero-field muon spin relaxation (ZF-μSR) data 6 , observation of a non-zero Kerr rotation below the critical temperature T c (ref. 7) and signs in the junction experiments of domains in the superconducting state 8,9 , while evidence for equal-spin pairing came from the absence of a change in the Knight shift below T c in nuclear magnetic resonance 10 and polarized neutron scattering 11 measurements. The Knight shift is related to the spin susceptibility; in conventional opposite-spin-pairing superconductors, it is suppressed below T c. However, in new measurements, it has been found that the Knight shift is, in fact, suppressed below T c (refs. 12-14), by a magnitude that is unlikely to be reconcilable with equal-spin pairing. This revision has called into question a number of other results on Sr 2 RuO 4. It raises a particular challenge for experiments that indicate chirality, because opposite-spin pairing implies an even-parity momentum-space gap structure. If the order parameter is constrained to be even parity, chiral, and composed of components that are degenerate on the tetragonal lattice of Sr 2 RuO 4 , the only possibility is d xz ± id yz order 15. Under conventional understanding, this is a highly unlikely order parameter because it
The interplay between superconductivity and Eu 2+ magnetic ordering in Eu(Fe 1−x Ir x ) 2 As 2 is studied by means of electrical transport and magnetic measurements. For the near optimally doped sample Eu(Fe 0.86 Ir 0.14 ) 2 As 2 , we witnessed two distinct transitions: a superconducting transition below 22.6 K which is followed by a resistivity reentrance caused by the ordering of the Eu 2+ moments. Further, the low field magnetization measurements show a prominent diamagnetic signal due to superconductivity, which is remarkable in the presence of a large-moment magnetically ordered system. The electronic structure for 12.5% Ir doped EuFe 1.75 Ir 0.25 As 2 is investigated along with the parent compound EuFe 2 As 2 . As compared to EuFe 2 As 2 , the doped compound has an effectively lower value of density of states throughout the energy scale with a more extended bandwidth and stronger hybridization involving Ir. Shifting of the Fermi energy and a change in band filling in EuFe 1.75 Ir 0.25 As 2 with respect to the pure compound indicate electron doping in the system.
Precise measurements of the thermodynamic critical field (Bc) in type-I noncentrosymmetric superconductor BeAu were performed by means of the muon-spin rotation/relaxation technique. The temperature evolution of Bc can not be described within the single gap scenario and it requires the presence of at least two different types of the superconducting order parameters. The selfconsistent two-gap approach, adapted for analysis of Bc(T ) behavior, suggests the presence of two superconducing energy gaps with the gap to Tc ratios 2∆/kBTc 4.52 and 2.37 for the big and the small gap, respectively. This implies that the superconductivity in BeAu is unconventional and that the supercarrier pairing occurs at various energy bands.BeAu is an old known superconductor with the transition temperature T c 3.2 K. Superconductivity in BeAu was originally discovered by Matthias in 1959, 1 i.e. just in two years after the formulation of the BCS theory. 2 In this short report, Matthias was noted the absence of a superconductivity in a pure Be and Au (Be was later found to have T c 26 mK, Ref.3) and performed a search within the gold-rich site of the Be-Au phase diagram. The superconductivity was found to appear in a stoichiometric (i.e. 1:1 Be to Au ratio) BeAu sample. 1Recently, the interest to BeAu was renewed. [4][5][6][7][8] This mostly relates to the realisation of their noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, which was expected to give rise to unconventional superconductivity due to spin-orbit coupling and/or mixed singlet/triplet pairing state (see e.g. Refs. 9-16 and references therein). In addition, the B20 FeSi-type of the crystal structure of BeAu becomes particualry interesting since such materials were predicted to host chiral fermions in topological semimetals. [17][18][19] Moreover, B20 structure is the only known crystal structure for bulk magnetic skyrmions in materials such as MnSi, Fe 1−x Co x Si, FeGe, MnGe, Cu 2 OSeO 3 etc. [20][21][22][23][24] All these make BeAu an intriguing candidate material to search for unconventional superconductivity, associated with its noncentrosymmetric crystal structure in combination with the possible existence of exotic quasiparticles.
Physical properties of polycrystalline CeCrGe3 and LaCrGe3 have been investigated by x-ray absorption spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility χ(T ), isothermal magnetization M(H), electrical resistivity ρ(T ), specific heat C(T ) and thermoelectric power S(T ) measurements. These compounds are found to crystallize in the hexagonal perovskite structure (space group P63/mmc), as previously reported. The ρ(T ), χ(T ) and C(T ) data confirm the bulk ferromagnetic ordering of itinerant Cr moments in LaCrGe3 and CeCrGe3 with TC = 90 K and 70 K respectively. In addition a weak anomaly is also observed near 3 K in the C(T ) data of CeCrGe3. The T dependences of ρ and finite values of Sommerfeld coefficient γ obtained from the specific heat measurements confirm that both the compounds are of metallic character. Further, the T dependence of ρ of CeCrGe3 reflects a Kondo lattice behavior. An enhanced γ of 130 mJ/mol K 2 together with the Kondo lattice behavior inferred from the ρ(T ) establish CeCrGe3 as a moderate heavy fermion compound with a quasiparticle mass renormalization factor of ∼ 45.
We report muon spin rotation (μSR) experiments together with first-principles calculations on microscopic properties of superconductivity in the kagome superconductor LaRu 3 Si 2 with T c 7K. Below T c , μSR reveals type-II superconductivity with a single s-wave gap, which is robust against hydrostatic pressure up to 2 GPa. We find that the calculated normal state band structure features a kagome flat band, and Dirac as well as van Hove points formed by the Ru-dz 2 orbitals near the Fermi level. We also find that electron-phonon coupling alone can only reproduce a small fraction of T c from calculations, which suggests other factors in enhancing T c such as the correlation effect from the kagome flat band, the van Hove point on the kagome lattice, and the high density of states from narrow kagome bands. Our experiments and calculations taken together point to nodeless moderate coupling kagome superconductivity in LaRu 3 Si 2 .
There is considerable evidence that the superconducting state of Sr2RuO4 breaks time reversal symmetry. In the experiments showing time reversal symmetry breaking, its onset temperature, TTRSB, is generally found to match the critical temperature, Tc, within resolution. In combination with evidence for even parity, this result has led to consideration of a dxz ± idyz order parameter. The degeneracy of the two components of this order parameter is protected by symmetry, yielding TTRSB = Tc, but it has a hard-to-explain horizontal line node at kz = 0. Therefore, s ± id and d ± ig order parameters are also under consideration. These avoid the horizontal line node, but require tuning to obtain TTRSB ≈ Tc. To obtain evidence distinguishing these two possible scenarios (of symmetry-protected versus accidental degeneracy), we employ zero-field muon spin rotation/relaxation to study pure Sr2RuO4 under hydrostatic pressure, and Sr1.98La0.02RuO4 at zero pressure. Both hydrostatic pressure and La substitution alter Tc without lifting the tetragonal lattice symmetry, so if the degeneracy is symmetry-protected, TTRSB should track changes in Tc, while if it is accidental, these transition temperatures should generally separate. We observe TTRSB to track Tc, supporting the hypothesis of dxz ± idyz order.
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