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arXiv · 2505.12131

Strange metallicity encompasses high magnetic field-induced superconductivity in UTe2

Abstract

A strange metallic state - characterized by an electrical resistivity that rises linearly in temperature $T$ at a rate governed by Planckian energetic dissipation - is present in a number of unconventional superconductors. Despite widespread investigative efforts, the microscopic properties of strange metallicity continue to defy elementary description. Here we investigate heavy fermion UTe$_2$, which hosts a suite of exotic spin-triplet superconducting phases, the most extreme of which resides in a narrow angular window of intense magnetic fields $>$ 40 T. Through angle-dependent magnetotransport measurements in pulsed magnetic fields, we find that this superconductive phase emerges from a strange metallic state with Planckian $T$-linear resistivity confined to a small region of phase space where the field-induced superconductivity is strongest, suggesting a shared underlying mechanism. These findings reveal a novel setting for strange metallicity - in contrast to the general case of singlet superconductivity emerging on the border of antiferromagnetism, here strange metallicity accompanies field-induced triplet superconductivity within a spin-polarized magnetic state. This result demonstrates the remarkable ubiquity of strange metallicity across diverse materials settings, and highlights UTe$_2$ as a unique platform for exploring the interplay between unconventional superconductivity and quantum criticality.

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T. I. Weinberger, H. Chen, Z. Wu, M. Long, A. Cabala, Y. Skourski, J. Sourd, T. Haidamak, V. Sechovsky, M. Valiska, F. M. Grosche, A. G. Eaton. 2025-05-17. Strange metallicity encompasses high magnetic field-induced superconductivity in UTe2. https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.12131

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