Investigation of Broken Time Reversal Symmetry in Pr-concentrated side of Pr$_{1-x}$Nd$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$

POSTER

Abstract

One of the intriguing features that indicate unconventional superconductivity (SC) in the filled skutterudite compound PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ is the broken time reversal symmetry (TRS)[1]. Previously in our muon spin relaxation ($\mu$SR) study on the influence of the Nd$^{3+}$ moment in Pr$_{1-x}$Nd$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$[2], we found that the magnetism extends deep in the SC state for $0.45 \le x \le 0.55$ and a strong $\mu^+$ dynamic rate in $x = 0.25$ possibly resulting from significant Nd moment fluctuations. In our most-recent results of $\mu$SR experiments in the x=0.05 and 0.1 samples, at zero magnetic field, a combined exponential and Gaussian relaxation behavior was found. The exponential rate has a strong temperature dependence below $T_c$, which may originate from spontaneous supercurrents or spin texture due to broken TRS. [1] Y. Aoki et al., PRL 91, 067003 (2003). [2] D. E. MacLaughlin et al., PRB 89, 144419 (2014).

*Research at CSU-Fresno is supported by NSF DMR-1506677; at UCSD by NSF DMR-1206553 and US DOE DEFG02-04ER46105, at CSU-LA by NSF DMR-1523588; at Fudan U. by Chinese NSF-1147060; at Hokkaido U. by JSPS KAKENHI 26400342, 15K05882, and 15K21732.

Authors

  • Pei-Chun Ho

    • CSU-Fresno
    • California, State University, Fresno
    • Cal State Univ- Fresno
    • California State University, Fresno
  • D. E. MacLaughlin

    • UC Riverside
  • Brian Maple

    • UC San Diego
    • University of California
    • Univ of California - San Diego
    • Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego
  • Lei Shu

    • Fudan U, China
    • Fudan University
    • Fudan Univ., Shanghai 200433, China
  • O. O. Bernal

    • CSU-Los Angeles
  • A. D. Hillier

    • ISIS/STFC, Harwell, UK
  • Tatsuya Yanagisawa

    • Hokkaido U, Japan
    • Hokkaido U, Jpn
    • Hokkaido University, Japan