Superconducting Gap Structure of Spin-Triplet Superconductor <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>Sr</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msub><mrow><mi>RuO</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> Studied by Thermal Conductivity

K. Izawa; H. Takahashi; H. Yamaguchi; Yuji Matsuda; M. Suzuki; T. Sasaki; T. Fukase; Y. Yoshida; R. Settai; Y. Onuki

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2653

Superconducting Gap Structure of Spin-Triplet Superconductor ${Sr}_{2} {RuO}_{4}$ Studied by Thermal Conductivity

K. Izawa, H. Takahashi, H. Yamaguchi, Yuji Matsuda, M. Suzuki, T. Sasaki, T. Fukase, Y. Yoshida, R. Settai, and Y. Onuki

Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2653 – Published 19 March 2001

Abstract

To clarify the superconducting gap structure of the spin-triplet superconductor ${Sr}_{2} {RuO}_{4}$ , the in-plane thermal conductivity has been measured as a function of relative orientations of the thermal flow, the crystal axes, and a magnetic field rotating within the 2D ${RuO}_{2}$ planes. The in-plane variation of the thermal conductivity is incompatible with any model with line nodes vertical to the 2D planes and indicates the existence of horizontal nodes. These results place strong constraints on models that attempt to explain the mechanism of the triplet superconductivity.

Received 23 November 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.2653

Authors & Affiliations

K. Izawa¹, H. Takahashi¹, H. Yamaguchi¹, Yuji Matsuda¹, M. Suzuki², T. Sasaki², T. Fukase², Y. Yoshida³, R. Settai³, and Y. Onuki³

¹Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
²Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
³Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043 Japan