No Arabic abstract
In this chapter we discuss the physical properties of a particular family of non-centrosymmetric superconductors belonging to the class heavy-fermion compounds. This group includes the ferromagnet UIr and the antiferromagnets CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, CeCoGe3, CeIrGe3 and CePt3Si, of which all but CePt3Si become superconducting only under pressure. Each of these superconductors has intriguing and interesting properties. We first analyze CePt3Si, then review CeRhSi3, CeIrSi3, CeCoGe3 and CeIrGe3, which are very similar to each other in their magnetic and electrical properties, and finally discuss UIr. For each material we discuss the crystal structure, magnetic order, occurrence of superconductivity, phase diagram, characteristic parameters, superconducting properties and pairing states. We present an overview of the similarities and differences between all these six compounds at the end.
The paramagnetic properties in non-centrosymmetric superconductors with and without antiferromagnetic (AFM) order are investigated with focus on the heavy Fermion superconductors, CePt_3Si, CeRhSi_3 and CeIrSi_3. First, we investigate the spin susceptibility in the linear response regime and elucidate the role of AFM order. The spin susceptibility at T=0 is independent of the pairing symmetry and increases in the AFM state. Second, the non-linear response to the magnetic field are investigated on the basis of an effective model for CePt_3Si which may be also applicable to CeRhSi_3 and CeIrSi_3. The role of antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling (ASOC), helical superconductivity, anisotropic Fermi surfaces and AFM order are examined in the dominantly s-, p- and d-wave states. We emphasize the qualitatively important role of the mixing of superconducting (SC) order parameters in the p-wave state which enhances the spin susceptibility and suppresses paramagnetic depairing effect in a significant way. Therefore, the dominantly p-wave superconductivity admixed with the s-wave order parameter is consistent with the paramagnetic properties of CePt_3Si at ambient pressure. We propose some experiments which can elucidate the novel pairing states in CePt_3Si as well as CeRhSi_3 and CeIrSi_3.
A microscopic theory for the spin triplet Cooper pairing in non-centrosymmetric superconductors like CePt_3Si and CeTSi_3 (T=Rh, Ir) is presented. The lack of inversion symmetry leads to new anomalous spin fluctuations which stabilize the triplet part in addition to the singlet part originating from the centrosymmetric spin fluctuations. It is shown that both parts have similar nontrivial momentum dependence of A_1 type. Therefore the mixed singlet-triplet gap function has accidental line nodes on both Fermi surface sheets which are stable as function of temperature. This gap function explains the salient features of CePt_3Si and CeTSi_3 superconductors.
Tunneling spectroscopy at surfaces of unconventional superconductors has proven an invaluable tool for obtaining information about the pairing symmetry. It is known that mid gap Andreev bound states manifest itself as a zero bias conductance peak in tunneling spectroscopy. The zero bias conductance peak is a signature for a non-trivial pair potential that exhibits different signs on different regions of the Fermi surface. Here, we review recent theoretical results on the spectrum of Andreev bound states near interfaces and surfaces in non-centrosymmetric superconductors. We introduce a theoretical scheme to calculate the energy spectrum of a non-centrosymmetric superconductor. Then, we discuss the interplay between the spin orbit vector field on the Fermi surface and the order parameter symmetry. The Andreev states carry a spin supercurrent and represent a helical edge mode along the interface. We study the topological nature of the resulting edge currents. If the triplet component of the order parameter dominates, then the helical edge mode exists. If, on the other hand, the singlet component dominates, the helical edge mode is absent. A quantum phase transition occurs for equal spin singlet and triplet order parameter components. We discuss the tunneling conductance and the Andreev point contact conductance between a normal metal and a non-centrosymmetric superconductor.
We report a 29Si-NMR study on the pressure-induced superconductivity (SC) in an antiferromagnetic (AFM) heavy-fermion compound CeIrSi3 without inversion symmetry. In the SC state at P=2.7-2.8 GPa, the temperature dependence of the nuclear-spin lattice relaxation rate 1/T_1 below Tc exhibits a T^3 behavior without any coherence peak just below Tc, revealing the presence of line nodes in the SC gap. In the normal state, 1/T_1 follows a sqrt{T}-like behavior, suggesting that the SC emerges under the non-Fermi liquid state dominated by AFM spin fluctuations enhanced around quantum critical point (QCP). The reason why the maximum Tc in CeIrSi3 is relatively high among the Ce-based heavy-fermion superconductors may be the existence of the strong AFM spin fluctuations. We discuss the comparison with the other Ce-based heavy-fermion superconductors.
We investigate the properties of the coexistence phase of itinerant antiferromagnetism and nodal $d$-wave superconductivity (Q-phase) discovered in heavy fermion CeCoIn5 under applied magnetic field. We solve the minimal model that includes $d$-wave superconductivity and underlying magnetic correlations in real space to elucidate the structure of the $Q$-phase in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field. We further focus on the role of magnetic impurities, and show that they nucleate the Q-phase at lower magnetic fields. Our most crucial finding is that, even at zero applied field, dilute magnetic impurities cooperate via RKKY-like exchange interactions to generate a long-range ordered coexistence state identical to the Q-phase. This result is in agreement with recent neutron scattering measurements [S. Raymond et al., J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. {bf 83}, 013707 (2014)].