History Dependence of the Vortex Lattice Rotation in the B-phase of UPt$_3$ with ${\bf H} \parallel {\bf c}$

ORAL

Abstract

The unconventional superconductor UPt$_3$ is widely believed to be a triplet superconductor, where the low temperature superconducting B-phase is a chiral state. We have performed small angle neutron scattering (SANS) from the vortex lattice (VL) in UPt$_3$ at the Paul Scherrer Institute with the magnetic field parallel to the hexagonal $c$-axis in the 0.5 T to 0.9 T range. The diffraction pattern of the VL rotates away from a high symmetry direction producing two domains of different orientation. Our field dependent measurements show a subtle magnetic field history dependence of this orientation; VLs prepared with the magnetic field parallel or anti-parallel with respect to the angular momentum from the circulating screening currents show different field-history dependence. These results suggest a coupling of a chiral superconducting order parameter with the applied magnetic field.

*US DOE, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering under Awards DE-FG02-10ER46783 (University of Notre Dame; neutron scattering) and DE-FG02-05ER46248 (Northwestern University; crystal growth, characterization, neutron

Authors

  • K.E. Avers

    • Northwestern Univ
  • M.R. Eskildsen

    • University of Notre Dame
    • Notre Dame University
  • W. P. Halperin

    • northwestern university
    • Northwestern University
    • Northwestern Univ
  • W.J. Gannon

    • Northwestern Univ
  • J.L. Gavilano

    • Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen, Switzerland
    • Paul Scherrer Institute
  • G. Nagy

    • Paul Scherrer Institute
  • U. Gasser

    • Paul Scherrer Institute