Visualization of vortex sheets and half quantum vortices in the chiral odd-parity superconductor UPt3
Abstract
Superconductivity is characterized by vanishing electrical resistance and magnetic flux expulsion. For conventional type II superconductors, the magnetic flux expulsion is incomplete in an applied magnetic field above a critical value and magnetic flux penetrates the bulk of the superconductor in discrete quantized magnetic flux tubes (vortices), each carrying a single quantum of flux (h/2e). Investigating the unconventional superconductor UPt3 with a scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope, we observed mobile half-quantum vortices together with one quantum vortices. Cooling the material under a higher magnetic field revealed the presence of lines of magnetic contrast resembling domain walls. These observations agree with theoretical predictions for chiral superconductivity with a two dimensional complex order-parameter with sheets of half-quantum vortices separating domains of opposite order-parameter chirality.
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