Transverse and in-plane modification of superconductivity and electronic structure in the quasi-two dimensional organic conductor $\kappa $--(BEDT-TTF)$_{2}$Cu(SCN)$_{2}$ by uniaxial stress

Abstract

We have employed uniaxial stress along the principal axes of the quasi-two dimensional organic superconductor $\kappa $--(BEDT-TTF)$_{2}$Cu(SCN)$_{2}$. The lattice anisotropy is thereby altered, with corresponding changes in the intermolecular transfer energies. The effect of uniaxial stress on the superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$ and critical field $B_{c2}$ is found to be anisotropic.There is an indication of an increase in $T_{c}$ and $B_{c2}$ for in-plane stress, but both parameters decrease rapidly for transverse (inter-plane) stress. Magnetotransport studies reveal stress-induced changes in the Fermi surface through the observation of the Shubnikov de Haas oscillations. The stress dependence of a resistive anomaly in the magnetoresistance, which is associated with the critical field $B_{c2}$, is also investigated. We discuss the experimental findings in the context of recent phenomenological and theoretical treatments of quasi-two dimensional systems where the anisotropic triangular lattice Hubbard model has been used to treat two-dimensional superconductors.