Order parameter of MgB_2: a fully gapped superconductor

Abstract

We have measured the low-temperature specific heat C(T) for polycrystalline MgB_2 prepared by high pressure synthesis. C(T) below 10 K vanishes exponentially, which unambiguously indicates a fully opened superconducting energy gap. However, this gap is found to be too small to account for Tc of MgB_2. Together with the small specific heat jump DeltaC/gamma_nTc=1.13, scenarios like anisotropic s-wave or multi-component order parameter are called for. The magnetic field dependence of gamma(H) is neither linear for a fully gapped s-wave superconductor nor H^1/2 for nodal order parameter. It seems that this intriguing behavior of gamma(H) is associated with the intrinsic electronic properties other than flux pinning.