Switching of magnetic domains reveals evidence for spatially inhomogeneous superconductivity

Simon Gerber; Marek Bartkowiak; Jorge L. Gavilano; Eric Ressouche; Nikola Egetenmeyer; Christof Niedermayer; Andrea D. Bianchi; Roman Movshovich; Eric D. Bauer; Joe D. Thompson; Michel Kenzelmann

doi:10.1038/nphys2833

arXiv · 1408.2868

Switching of magnetic domains reveals evidence for spatially inhomogeneous superconductivity

Simon Gerber·Marek Bartkowiak·Jorge L. Gavilano·Eric Ressouche·Nikola Egetenmeyer·Christof Niedermayer·Andrea D. Bianchi·Roman Movshovich·Eric D. Bauer·Joe D. Thompson·Michel Kenzelmann

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Abstract

The interplay of magnetic and charge fluctuations can lead to quantum phases with exceptional electronic properties. A case in point is magnetically-driven superconductivity, where magnetic correlations fundamentally affect the underlying symmetry and generate new physical properties. The superconducting wave-function in most known magnetic superconductors does not break translational symmetry. However, it has been predicted that modulated triplet p-wave superconductivity occurs in singlet d-wave superconductors with spin-density wave (SDW) order. Here we report evidence for the presence of a spatially inhomogeneous p-wave Cooper pair-density wave (PDW) in CeCoIn5. We show that the SDW domains can be switched completely by a tiny change of the magnetic field direction, which is naturally explained by the presence of triplet superconductivity. Further, the Q-phase emerges in a common magneto-superconducting quantum critical point. The Q-phase of CeCoIn5 thus represents an example where spatially modulated superconductivity is associated with SDW order.

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Simon Gerber, Marek Bartkowiak, Jorge L. Gavilano, Eric Ressouche, Nikola Egetenmeyer, Christof Niedermayer, Andrea D. Bianchi, Roman Movshovich, Eric D. Bauer, Joe D. Thompson, Michel Kenzelmann. 2014-08-12. Switching of magnetic domains reveals evidence for spatially inhomogeneous superconductivity. https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys2833

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