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Updated: Jun 28, 2025
Comparison of Two Different Synthesis Methods of Single Crystals of Superconducting Uranium Ditelluride
Published on: July 8, 2021
Orphan high field superconductivity in non-superconducting uranium ditelluride.
Corey E Frank1,2, Sylvia K Lewin3,4, Gicela Saucedo Salas3,4
1NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, USA. cef2@umd.edu.
In UTe2 crystals, extreme magnetic fields revealed a novel high-field superconductor. This "orphan" superconductivity emerges without a zero-field precursor, challenging existing theories.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Reentrant superconductivity typically requires a zero-field superconducting phase.
- Magnetic fields usually destroy superconductivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavior of UTe2 crystals under extreme magnetic fields.
- To identify novel superconducting states in UTe2.
Main Methods:
- Experimental application of high magnetic fields (37-52 T) to UTe2 crystals.
- Angular dependence studies of superconductivity relative to crystallographic axes.
Main Results:
- Discovery of a high-field superconductor in UTe2 that lacks a zero-field parent phase.
- This "orphan" superconductivity exists at specific angles (29-42 degrees) and high fields (37-52 T).
Conclusions:
- The existence of field-induced orphan superconductivity in UTe2 defies current theoretical understanding.
- This finding demonstrates that superconductivity can be induced by high magnetic fields in materials that are not superconducting at zero field.
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