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arXiv · 1609.06186

Fully gapped superconducting state in Au2Pb: a natural candidate for topological superconductor

Y. J. Yu·Y. Xu·Y. Xing·J. Zhang·T. P. Ying·X. C. Hong·M. X. Wang·X. Zhang·S. Jia·J. Wang·S. Y. Li
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Abstract

We measured the ultra-low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity of Au$_2$Pb single crystal, a possible three-dimensional Dirac semimetal with a superconducting transition temperature $T_c \approx$ 1.05 K. The electronic specific heat can be fitted by a two-band s-wave model, which gives the gap amplitudes $\Delta_1$(0)/$k_BT_c$ = 1.38 and $\Delta_2$(0)/$k_BT_c$ = 5.25. From the thermal conductivity measurements, a negligible residual linear term $\kappa_0/T$ in zero field and a slow field dependence of $\kappa_0/T$ at low field are obtained. These results suggest that Au$_2$Pb has a fully gapped superconducting state in the bulk, which is a necessary condition for topological superconductor if Au$_2$Pb is indeed one.

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Y. J. Yu, Y. Xu, Y. Xing, J. Zhang, T. P. Ying, X. C. Hong, M. X. Wang, X. Zhang, S. Jia, J. Wang, S. Y. Li. 2016-09-20. Fully gapped superconducting state in Au2Pb: a natural candidate for topological superconductor. https://doi.org/10.1209/0295-5075/116/67002

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