Unusual H-T phase diagram of CeRh2As2: The role of staggered noncentrosymmetricity

Open access
Date
2021-06-04Type
- Journal Article
Abstract
Superconductivity in a crystalline lattice without inversion is subject to complex spin-orbit-coupling effects, which can lead to mixed-parity pairing and an unusual magnetic response. In this study, the properties of a layered superconductor with alternating Rashba spin-orbit coupling in the stacking of layers, hence (globally) possessing a center of inversion, is analyzed in an applied magnetic field, using a generalized Ginzburg-Landau model. The superconducting order parameter consists of an even- and an odd-parity pairing component which exchange their roles as dominant pairing channel upon increasing the magnetic field. This leads to an unusual kink feature in the upper critical field and a first-order phase transition within the mixed phase. We investigate various signatures of this internal phase transition. The physics we discuss here could explain the recently found H-T phase diagram of the heavy-fermion superconductor CeRh2As2. Show more
Permanent link
https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000492814Publication status
publishedExternal links
Journal / series
Physical Review ResearchVolume
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
American Physical SocietyOrganisational unit
03571 - Sigrist, Manfred / Sigrist, Manfred
Funding
184739 - Supraleitung und Magnetismus in starkkorrelierten Elektronensystemen (SNF)
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