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Low-field superconducting phase of (TMTSF)2ClO4
F L Pratt1, T Lancaster, S J Blundell
1ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Oxfordshire OX11 0QX, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|March 26, 2013
Summary
Researchers explored the organic superconductor (TMTSF)2ClO4 using muon-spin rotation. Evidence suggests an odd-frequency p-wave singlet pairing symmetry in its low-field phase, a rare phenomenon in bulk superconductors.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Materials
Background:
- The organic superconductor (TMTSF)2ClO4 exhibits complex low-field phases.
- Understanding the superconducting symmetry is crucial for developing novel electronic materials.
- Muon-spin rotation (μSR) is a sensitive probe of magnetic properties and superconducting states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the low-field superconducting phase of (TMTSD)2ClO4.
- To determine the magnetic penetration depth and probe for time-reversal symmetry breaking.
- To elucidate the pairing symmetry of the superconducting state.
Main Methods:
- Muon-spin rotation (μSR) spectroscopy was employed.
- Measurements were conducted to determine the magnetic penetration depth (λab).
- Temperature-dependent muon-spin relaxation was analyzed to probe for gap nodes and spontaneous fields.
Main Results:
- The magnetic penetration depth at zero temperature was found to be λab(0) = 0.86(2) μm.
- No evidence for gap nodes on the Fermi surface was observed.
- No spontaneous fields indicating time-reversal symmetry breaking were detected.
Conclusions:
- The results strongly suggest an odd-frequency p-wave singlet pairing symmetry.
- This represents a novel example of odd-frequency pairing in a bulk superconductor.
- The findings contribute to the understanding of unconventional superconductivity in organic materials.
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