Transverse Sound Revisited: A Directional Probe of the A-Phase of $UPt_3$

Abstract

We have measured the transverse ultrasonic attenuation, $\alpha_{q\epsilon}$, in a well-characterized single crystal of $UPt_3$ for propagation direction, ${\bf q}$, in the basal plane and polarization, $\epsilon$, in and out of the plane. Unlike previous measurements, the sample was of sufficient purity to exhibit three well-defined phases as a function of temperature and magnetic field. We uncover a functional dependence for the attenuation in the (zero field) high temperature phase (A-phase) which is distinctly different than that in the low temperature (B) phase. Our data provide unique directional information on the quasiparticle momentum distribution in this largely unstudied phase of $UPt_3$ and provide the first direct evidence that the two zero-field phases possess different symmetries.