Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
04:51
Comparison of Two Different Synthesis Methods of Single Crystals of Superconducting Uranium Ditelluride
Published on: July 8, 2021
The transition between real and complex superconducting order parameter phases in UPt3
J D Strand1, D J Bahr, D J Van Harlingen
1Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. strand2@illinois.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 12, 2010
Summary
Researchers mapped the superconducting order parameter in UPt3 using Josephson junctions. They found distinct symmetries in high-temperature and low-temperature superconducting phases, revealing a complex order parameter in the latter.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Superconductivity Research
Background:
- Order parameter symmetry is fundamental to understanding superconductors.
- Heavy fermion compounds like UPt3 exhibit complex electronic behaviors and multiple superconducting phases.
- UPt3 is known to possess distinct superconducting phases with varying symmetries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in UPt3.
- To map the superconducting order parameter's magnitude across different momentum-space directions and temperatures.
- To characterize the differences between the high-temperature and low-temperature superconducting phases of UPt3.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Josephson tunnel junctions on UPt3 single crystal surfaces.
- Measurement of critical current in Josephson junctions.
- Mapping the superconducting order parameter magnitude as a function of direction and temperature.
Main Results:
- Observation of a sharp node in the superconducting gap at 45 degrees relative to the a-axis in the high-temperature phase.
- Detection of an out-of-phase component in the low-temperature phase.
- Evidence for a complex superconducting order parameter in the low-temperature phase.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals distinct superconducting order parameter symmetries in UPt3.
- The findings highlight the complex nature of superconductivity in heavy fermion compounds.
- UPt3 serves as a crucial system for exploring the interplay of electronic orders and superconductivity.
More Related Videos
09:06Visualizing Uniaxial-strain Manipulation of Antiferromagnetic Domains in Fe1+YTe Using a Spin-polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Published on: March 24, 2019
08:55Methods of Ex Situ and In Situ Investigations of Structural Transformations: The Case of Crystallization of Metallic Glasses
Published on: June 7, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:28Phase Diagrams of Ternary Systems
Consider a ternary system, which is composed of three components: water (W), ethanoic acid (E), and trichloromethane (T). Here, Ethanoic acid (E) is fully miscible with both water (W) and trichloromethane (T), meaning it can mix entirely with either of them. However, water and trichloromethane have partial miscibility, meaning they can only mix to a certain extent, beyond which two separate phases will form.The phase diagram of a ternary system is represented as an equilateral triangle, where...
02:31Phase Transitions
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to occupy...
01:21Phase Transitions
A phase transition is the process in which a substance changes from one state of matter to another, like from a solid to a liquid, liquid to gas, or vice versa, at a specific temperature and under given pressure conditions. This change is spontaneous and is affected by alterations in temperature and pressure. These parameters impact the strength of the forces between molecules (intermolecular forces) in the substance.During a phase transition, both the initial and final phases of the substance...
02:33Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
02:39Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
01:19Phase Diagram
The phase of a given substance depends on the pressure and temperature. Thus, plots of pressure versus temperature showing the phase in each region provide considerable insights into the thermal properties of substances. Such plots are known as phase diagrams. For instance, in the phase diagram for water (Figure 1), the solid curve boundaries between the phases indicate phase transitions (i.e., temperatures and pressures at which the phases coexist).