arXiv subjects

P. M. R. Brydon

Publications and source records attributed to P. M. R. Brydon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

$H-T$ Phase diagram of CeRh$_{2}$As$_{2}$: Refinement of the parity-switch scenario

The superconductivity of CeRh$_2$As$_2$ has drawn attention due to its first-order transition in magnetic fields. At first glance, the multiple superconducting (SC) phases as well as the first-order transition appear consistent with the parity-switch scenario, which emphasizes the role of strong Rashba spin-orbit coupling enabled by the locally non-centrosymmetric crystal structure. However, experimental phase diagrams exhibit notable deviations from this simple picture: thermodynamic measurements reveal a nearly vertical phase boundary of the high-field SC phase despite the orbital depairing effect, while transport measurements show that the initial slope of the high-field SC phase is steeper than that of the low-field SC phase. Here, we show that these discrepancies can be understood by considering the combined effects of nonsymmorphic band structure and coexisting antiferromagnetic order. We demonstrate that the symmetry-enforced electronic structure around the Dirac node and type-II Van Hove saddle points near the X point in the Brillouin zone boundary becomes more anisotropic with increased interlayer hopping amplitude, and this anisotropic band structure naturally accounts for the anomalous initial slope of the odd-parity SC phase. Meanwhile, a phenomenological theory incorporating coexisting antiferromagnetism explains the nearly vertical thermodynamic phase boundary as a consequence of field-enhanced odd-parity superconductivity enabled by the over-suppression of Pauli depairing.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Reentrant superconductivity enabled by spin-orbit coupling: Application to UTe$_2$

Reentrant superconductivity has been understood primarily in terms of the Jaccarino-Peter field-compensation effect or from a change of the strength in the pairing interaction. However, neither mechanism appears able to entirely explain the remarkable phase diagram of UTe$_2$. Here we propose a generic theory of the field-enhancement of opposite-spin Cooper pairings which does not necessitate the coexistence of magnetism or the vicinity of a magnetic quantum critical point. Our analytical treatment shows that the reentrance has its origin in the interplay of the sublattice degrees of freedom and spin-orbit coupling, which can can strikingly enhance opposite-spin Cooper pairings at strong Zeeman fields. Based on these results, we show that a pairing state with B$_{3u}$ symmetry can reproduce the highly anisotropic phase diagram of the reentrant superconducting state of UTe$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

Investigation of CeRh$_2$As$_2$ order parameters via ultrasound propagation anomalies

Unconventional superconductors with nearly degenerate pairing states are rare. CeRh$_2$As$_2$ has recently emerged as one of the few existing multi-phase superconductors. It exhibits a first-order phase transition between two distinct superconducting states when a magnetic field is applied along the crystallographic $c$-axis. While this behavior has been linked to locally broken inversion symmetry, a phase diagram based on a multi-component superconducting order parameter remains a possibility. Furthermore, superconductivity appears to coexist with an ordered state (phase I). Despite being the subject of many studies, little is known about the nature of the order parameters in both superconducting phases and phase I. Here, we use ultrasound-propagation measurements at low temperatures, in high magnetic fields and under hydrostatic pressure to address this issue. Our results strongly suggest that the superconducting order parameter in both phases is single-component, corroborating the role of local non-centrosymmetry in the development of multi-phase superconductivity in CeRh$_2$As$_2$. In addition, analysis of the elastic anomalies within the Landau framework of phase transitions strongly suggests the presence of an incommensurate magnetic order parameter in phase I.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Origin of sublattice particle-hole asymmetry in monolayer FeSe superconductors

In iron-based superconductors, the two Fe atoms in the unit cell are typically related by crystal symmetries; therefore, we expect no intra-unit cell variations in the superconducting gap. However, recent experiments have challenged this expectation, reporting intra-unit cell variations in the gap with an unusual particle-hole asymmetry. Here, we examine the origin of this asymmetry between the two Fe sublattices in monolayer FeSe grown on SrTiO$_3$. We reveal that, in addition to the substrate-induced broken inversion symmetry, substrate nematic symmetry breaking is key to observing this asymmetry. We further identify two possible mechanisms through which this can occur. The first is through an odd-parity gap function that coexists with an extended $s$-wave function. The second is via a nodeless $d$-wave gap function that develops in the presence of a symmetry-breaking substrate. We argue that the latter mechanism is more physical. To test our theory, we performed scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements across the nematic domain walls, which exhibit a clear enhancement of the asymmetry between the two Fe sublattices. In addition, we reveal that the observed sublattice particle-hole asymmetry is associated with odd-frequency pairing correlations, providing an experimental realization of this unusual pairing correlation.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Incommensuration in odd-parity antiferromagnets

Inversion-asymmetric antiferromagnets (AFMs) with odd-parity spin-polarization pattern have been proposed as a new venue for spintronics. These AFMs require commensurate ordering to ensure an effective time-reversal symmetry, which guarantees a strictly antisymmetric spin polarization of the electronic states. Recently, nonsymmorphic centrosymmetric crystals have been identified as a broad class of materials which could exhibit unit-cell doubling magnetism with odd-parity spin-polarization. Here we investigate the stability of these states against incommensuration. We first demonstrate that the symmetry conditions which permit a p-wave spin polarization pattern also permit the existence of a non-relativistic Lifshitz invariant in the phenomenological Ginzburg-Landau free energy. This implies magnetism with an incommensurate ordering vector, independent of its microscopic origin. AFMs with f- or h-wave spin-polarization are also prone to incommensurability, especially when they have an itinerant origin. Here the symmetry which ensures the odd-parity spin-polarization also guarantees the existence of van Hove saddle points off the time-reversal-invariant momenta, which promote incommensurate spin fluctuations in quasi-two-dimensional electronic systems. Finally, we study the effect of weak spin-orbit coupling in locally noncentrosymmetric materials and find that it favors antiferromagnetic phases with in-plane magnetic moments. However, the inclusion of the spin-orbit coupling also introduces a new mechanism for driving incommensuration. Our results imply that odd-parity AFMs are likely to be preceded by an incommensurate phase, or emerge directly from the normal state via a first order transition. These conclusions are consistent with the phase diagram of several candidate materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Inversion-asymmetric itinerant antiferromagnets by the space group symmetry

We investigate the appearance of an inversion-asymmetric antiferromagnetism due to an itinerant mechanism in nonsymmorphic systems with magnetic ions at Wyckoff position of multiplicity 2. The key symmetries which underpin the existence of such phases are established, and we derive a Landau free energy from a general microscopic electronic Hamiltonian. Our analysis reveals that the stable antiferromagnetic order is largely determined by the symmetries of Wyckoff position, the nature of the nesting between electronic bands, and the presence of anisotropy or nesting in high-symmetry planes of the Brillouin zone. We illustrate our conclusions with specific microscopic models.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2024

The role of superconducting fitness in pairing from fluctuating order

In many unconventional superconductors the pairing interaction is believed to be mediated by a fluctuating order. Although this is typically taken to be magnetic in origin, the role of other fluctuating orders has recently been considered. In this work we examine the weak-coupling pairing interaction produced by a general fluctuating order, and seek to identify the leading pairing instability. For a given pairing channel, we show that the superconducting fitness with the associated static order appears prominently in the expression for the coupling constant. We consequently argue that fit gaps (for which the static order is not pair-breaking) should have an attractive interaction, whereas unfit gaps (for which the static order is pair-breaking) have a repulsive interaction. We propose a simple heuristic test for the tendency of a given pairing state to have an attractive interaction. We show the validity of this test in the case of pairing caused by fluctuating density-wave order, and use it to probe the superconducting state generated by a fluctuating noncolinear magnetic order on the pyrochlore lattice.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Unified picture of superconductivity and magnetism in CeRh$_2$As$_2$

We study the micorscopic origin of the multiple superconducting and magnetic phases observed in CeRh$_2$As$_2$. We exploit the existence of a van Hove singularity enforced by the nonsymmorphic symmetry to conduct a renormalization group analysis. When Fermi-surface nesting is strong, we find two closely-competing superconducting states with opposite parities, as well as an instability towards specific spin-density wave states, consistent with key features of the phase diagram of CeRh$_2$As$_2$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Phase diagram of strongly-coupled Rashba systems

Motivated by the recent discovery of a possible field-mediated parity switch within the superconducting state of CeRh2As2 [Khim et al., Science 373, 1012 (2021)], we thoroughly investigate the dependence of the superconducting state of a strongly-coupled Rashba mono- and bilayer on internal parameters and an applied magnetic field. The role of interlayer pairing, spin orbit coupling, doping rate and applied magnetic field and their interplay was examined numerically at low temperature within a t-J-like model, uncovering complex phase diagrams and transitions between superconducting states with different symmetry.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2024

Collective modes in an unconventional superconductor with $j=3/2$ fermions

The $j = 3/2$ fermions in cubic crystals or cold atomic gases can form Cooper pairs in both singlet ($J = 0$) and unconventional quintet ($J = 2$) $s$-wave states. Our study utilizes analytical field theory to examine fluctuations in these states within the framework of the Luttinger-Kohn model. We investigate how collective modes evolve with varying spin-orbit coupling (SOC) strength. In the singlet state, quintet Bardasis-Schrieffer modes soften at a finite wavevector, hinting at Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov physics. In the quintet state, we identify additional gapless and gapped modes originating from the partially broken symmetry due to SOC. Our results can be readily detected using current experimental techniques.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Bardasis-Schrieffer-like phase mode in a superconducting bilayer

We theoretically study the low-lying collective modes of an even-parity spin-singlet superconducting bilayer, where strong spin-orbit coupling leads to a closely competing odd-parity pairing state. We develop a gauge-invariant theory for the coupling of phase fluctuations to an external electromagnetic field and show that the competing odd-parity pairing instability gives rise to a Bardasis-Schrieffer-like phase mode within the excitation gap. Accounting for the long-range Coulomb interaction, however, we find that this mode is converted into an antisymmetric plasmon and is likely pushed into the quasiparticle continuum.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Superconductivity of anomalous pseudospin

Spin-orbit coupling driven by broken inversion symmetry ($I$) is known to lead to unusual magnetic response of superconductors, including extremely large critical fields for spin-singlet superconductors. This unusual response is also known to appear in materials that have $I$, provided there is local $I$-breaking: fermions participating in superconductivity reside on crystal sites that lack $I$. Here we show that this unusual response exists even when the crystal sites preserve $I$. Indeed, we argue that the symmetry of Kramers degenerate fermionic pseudospin is more relevant than the local crystal site symmetry. We examine and classify non-symmorphic materials with momentum space spin-textures that exhibit an anomalous pseudospin with different symmetry properties than usual spin-1/2. We find that this anomalous pseudospin does not depend on the existence of local $I$ breaking crystal sites and it optimizes the unusual magnetic response traditionally associated with locally noncentrosymmetric superconductors, dramatically extending the range of relevant materials. We further show this anomalous pseudospin leads to fully gapped `nodal' superconductors and provides additional insight into the breakdown of Blount's theorem for pseudospin triplet superconductors. We apply our results to UPt$_3$, BiS$_2$-based superconductors, Fe-based superconductors, and paramagnetic UCoGe.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2023

Bound states around impurities in a superconducting bilayer

We theoretically study the appearance of bound states around impurities in a superconducting bilayer. We focus our attention on $s$-wave pairing, which includes unconventional odd-parity states permitted by the layer degree of freedom. Utilizing numerical mean-field and analytical $T$-matrix methods, we survey the bound state spectrum produced by momentum-independent impurity potentials in this model. For even-parity $s$-wave pairing bound states are only found for impurities which break time-reversal symmetry. For odd-parity $s$-wave states, in contrast, bound states are generically found for all impurity potentials, and fall into six distinct categories. This categorization remains valid for nodal gaps. Our results are conveniently understood in terms of the ``superconducting fitness'' concept, and show an interplay between the pair-breaking effects of the impurity and the normal-state band structure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Pair-breaking in superconductors with strong spin-orbit coupling

We study the influence of symmetry-breaking perturbations on superconductivity in multiorbital materials, with a particular focus on an external magnetic field. We introduce the field-fitness function which characterizes the pair-breaking effects of the perturbation on a given superconducting state. For even parity superconductors we find that this field-fitness function for an external magnetic field is one, implying that the paramagnetic response is controlled only by a generalized effective $g$-factor. For odd parity superconductors, the interplay of the effective $g$-factor and the field-fitness function can lead to counter-intuitive results. We demonstrate this for $p$-wave pairing in the effective $j=3/2$ electronic states of the Luttinger-Kohn model.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Field-angle dependence reveals odd-parity superconductivity in CeRh$_2$As$_2$

CeRh$_2$As$_2$ is an unconventional superconductor with multiple superconducting phases and $T_\mathrm{c} = 0.26$ K. When $H\parallel c$, it shows a field-induced transition at $μ_0H^* = 4$ T from a low-field superconducting state SC1 to a high-field state SC2 with a large critical field of $μ_0H_\mathrm{c2} = 14$ T. In contrast, for $H\perp c$, only the SC1 with $μ_0H_\mathrm{c2} = 2$ T is observed. A simple model based on the crystal symmetry was able to reproduce the phase-diagrams and their anisotropy, identifying SC1 and SC2 with even and odd parity superconducting states, respectively. However, additional orders were observed in the normal state which might have an influence on the change of the superconducting state at $H^*$. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the angle dependence of the upper critical fields using magnetic ac-susceptibility, specific heat and torque on single crystals of CeRh$_2$As$_2$. The experiments show that the state SC2 is strongly suppressed when rotating the magnetic field away from the $c$ axis and it disappears for an angle of 35$^{\circ}$. This behavior agrees perfectly with our extended model of a pseudospin triplet state with $\vec{d}$ vector in the plane and hence allows to nail down that SC2 is indeed the suggested odd-parity state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2022

Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces from pairing of emergent $j=3/2$ fermions on the pyrochlore lattice

We examine the appearance of superconductivity in the strong-coupling limit of the Hubbard model on the pyrochlore lattice. We focus upon the limit of half filling, where the normal-state band structure realizes a $j=3/2$ semimetal. Introducing doping, we show that the pairing is favored in a $J=2$ quintet $E_g$ state. The attractive interaction in this channel relies on the fact that $E_g$ pairing on the pyrochlore lattice avoids the detrimental on-site repulsion. Our calculations show that a time-reversal symmetry-breaking superconducting phase is favored, which displays Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

Non-symmorphic symmetry and field-driven odd-parity pairing in CeRh$_2$As$_2$

Recently, evidence has emerged for a field-induced even- to odd-parity superconducting phase transition in CeRh$_2$As$_2$ [S. Khim et al., Science 373 1012 (2021)]. Here we argue that the P4/nmm non-symmorphic crystal structure of CeRh$_2$As$_2$ plays a key role in enabling this transition by ensuring large spin-orbit interactions near the Brillouin zone boundaries, which naturally leads to the required near-degeneracy of the even- and odd-parity channels. We further comment on the relevance of our theory to FeSe, which crystallizes in the same structure.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2021

General theory of robustness against disorder in multi-band superconductors

We investigate the influence of general forms of disorder on the robustness of superconductivity in multiband materials. Specifically, we consider a general two-band system where the bands arise from an orbital degree of freedom of the electrons. Within the Born approximation, we show that the interplay of the spin-orbital structure of the normal-state Hamiltonian, disorder scattering, and superconducting pairing potentials can lead to significant deviations from the expected robustness of the superconductivity. This can be conveniently formulated in terms of the so-called "superconducting fitness". In particular, we verify a key role for unconventional $s$-wave states, permitted by the spin-orbital structure and which may pair electrons that are not time-reversed partners. To exemplify the role of Fermi surface topology and spin-orbital texture, we apply our formalism to the candidate topological superconductor Cu$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$, for which only a single band crosses the Fermi energy, as well as models of the iron pnictides, which possess multiple Fermi pockets.

cond-mat.supr-con↗