No Arabic abstract
Noncentrosymmetric superconductors can lead to a variety of exotic properties in the superconducting state such as line nodes, multigap behavior, and time-reversal symmetry breaking. In this paper, we report the properties of the new noncentrosymmetric superconductor TaOs, using muon spin relaxation and rotation measurements. It is shown using the zero-field muon experiment that TaOs preserve the time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. From the transverse field muon measurements, we extract the temperature dependence of $lambda(T)$ which is proportional to the superfluid density. This data can be fit with a fully gapped s-wave model for $alpha$ = $Delta(0)/k_{B}T_{c}$ = 2.01 $pm$ 0.02. Furthermore, the value of magnetic penetration depth is found to be 5919 $pm$ 45 text{AA}, which is consistent with the value obtained from the bulk measurements.
The noncentrosymmetric superconductor Mo$_3$Rh$_2$N, with $T_c = 4.6$ K, adopts a $beta$-Mn-type structure (space group $P$4$_1$32), similar to that of Mo$_3$Al$_2$C. Its bulk superconductivity was characterized by magnetization and heat-capacity measurements, while its microscopic electronic properties were investigated by means of muon-spin rotation and relaxation ($mu$SR). The low-temperature superfluid density, measured via transverse-field (TF)-$mu$SR, evidences a fully-gapped superconducting state with $Delta_0 = 1.73 k_mathrm{B}T_c$, very close to 1.76 $k_mathrm{B}T_c$ - the BCS gap value for the weak coupling case, and a magnetic penetration depth $lambda_0 = 586$ nm. The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below the onset of superconductivity, as determined by zero-field (ZF)-$mu$SR measurements, hints at a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. Both TF-and ZF-$mu$SR results evidence a spin-singlet pairing in Mo$_3$Rh$_2$N.
The results of heat capacity C_p(T, H) and electrical resistivity rho(T,H) measurements down to 0.35 K as well as muon spin relaxation and rotation (muSR) measurements on a noncentrosymmetric superconductor LaIrSi3 are presented. Powder neutron diffraction confirmed the reported noncentrosymmetric body-centered tetragonal BaNiSn3-type structure (space group I4,mm) of LaIrSi3. The bulk superconductivity is observed below T_c = 0.72(1) K. The intrinsic Delta C_e/gamma_n T_c = 1.09(3) is significantly smaller than the BCS value of 1.43, and this reduction is accounted by the alpha-model of BCS superconductivity. The analysis of the superconducting state C_e(T) data by the single-band alpha-model indicates a moderately anisotropic order parameter with the s-wave gap Delta(0)/k_B T_c = 1.54(2) which is lower than the BCS value of 1.764. Our estimates of various normal and superconducting state parameters indicate a weakly coupled electron-phonon driven type-I s-wave superconductivity in LaIrSi3. The muSR results also confirm the conventional type-I superconductivity in LaIrSi3 with a preserved time reversal symmetry and hence a singlet pairing superconducting ground state.
We report a comprehensive study of the noncentrosymmetric superconductor Mo$_3$P. Its bulk superconductivity, with $T_c = 5.5$ K, was characterized via electrical resistivity, magnetization, and heat-capacity measurements, while its microscopic electronic properties were investigated by means of muon-spin rotation/relaxation ($mu$SR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. In the normal state, NMR relaxation data indicate an almost ideal metallic behavior, confirmed by band-structure calculations, which suggest a relatively high electron density of states, dominated by the Mo $4d$-orbitals. The low-temperature superfluid density, determined via transverse-field $mu$SR and electronic specific heat, suggest a fully-gapped superconducting state in Mo$_3$P, with $Delta_0= 0.83$ meV, the same as the BCS gap value in the weak-coupling case, and a zero-temperature magnetic penetration depth $lambda_0 = 126$ nm. The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below the onset of superconductivity, as determined from zero-field $mu$SR measurements, indicates a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of Mo$_3$P and, hence, spin-singlet pairing.
We report a comprehensive study of the centrosymmetric Re$_3$B and noncentrosymmetric Re$_7$B$_3$ superconductors. At a macroscopic level, their bulk superconductivity (SC), with $T_c$ = 5.1 K (Re$_3$B) and 3.3 K (Re$_7$B$_3$), was characterized via electrical-resistivity, magnetization, and heat-capacity measurements, while their microscopic superconducting properties were investigated by means of muon-spin rotation/relaxation ($mu$SR). In both Re$_3$B and Re$_7$B$_3$ the low-$T$ zero-field electronic specific heat and the superfluid density (determined via tranverse-field $mu$SR) suggest a nodeless SC. Both compounds exhibit some features of multigap SC, as evidenced by temperature-dependent upper critical fields $H_mathrm{c2}(T)$, as well as by electronic band-structure calculations. The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below the onset of SC, as determined from zero-field $mu$SR measurements, indicates a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of both Re$_3$B and Re$_7$B$_3$. Our results suggest that a lack of inversion symmetry and the accompanying antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling effects are not essential for the occurrence of multigap SC in these rhenium-boron compounds.
We have studied the superconducting gap structure of LaPt$_2$Si$_2$ by measuring the temperature dependence of the London penetration depth shift $Deltalambda(T)$ and point contact spectroscopy of single crystals. $Deltalambda(T)$ shows an exponential temperature dependence at low temperatures, and the derived normalized superfluid density $rho_{s}(T)$ can be well described by a single-gap s-wave model. The point-contact conductance spectra can also be well fitted by an s-wave Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk model, where the gap value shows a typical BCS temperature and magnetic field dependence consistent with type-II superconductivity. These results suggest fully gapped superconductivity in LaPt$_2$Si$_2$, with moderately strong electron-phonon coupling.