$c$-axis transport in UTe$_{2}$: Evidence of Three Dimensional Conductivity Component

Abstract

We study the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity for currents directed along all crystallographic axes of the spin-triplet superconductor UTe$_{2}$. We focus particularly on an accurate determination of the resistivity along the $c$-axis ($\rho_c$) by using a generalized Montgomery technique that allows extraction of crystallographic resistivity components from a single sample. In contrast to expectations from the observed highly anisotropic band structure, our measurement of the absolute values of resistivities in all current directions reveals a surprisingly nearly isotropic transport behavior at temperatures above Kondo coherence, with $\rho_c \sim \rho_b \sim 2\rho_a$, that evolves to reveal qualitatively distinct behaviors on cooling. The temperature dependence of $\rho_c$ exhibits a peak at a temperature much lower than the onset of Kondo coherence observed in $\rho_a$ and $\rho_b$, consistent with features in magnetotransport and magnetization that point to a magnetic origin. A comparison to the temperature-dependent evolution of the scattering rate observed in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments provides important insights into the underlying electronic structure necessary for building a microscopic model of superconductivity in UTe$_{2}$.