Constraints on a split superconducting transition under uniaxial strain in Sr₂RuO₄ from scanning SQUID microscopy

Whether the superconducting order parameter in Sr₂RuO₄ is a single component or has two degenerate components is still an unresolved question. Under a degenerate two-component scenario, uniaxial strain is a useful tool because it is expected to split the degeneracy, resulting in two superconducting transitions: a primary transition at temperature T_c,1 and a secondary transition at a lower temperature T_c,2. To test for a transition splitting, we performed scanning SQUID microscopy on Sr₂RuO₄ under uniaxial strain and we will present the results of this measurement in this talk. By measuring the temperature dependence of the local susceptibility under non-zero strain, we place limits on the possibility of a second transition.