Probing the nodal gap in the pressure-induced heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5

TL;DR

This study uses field-orientation specific heat measurements to determine the momentum-dependent superconducting gap in CeRhIn5 under pressure, revealing a d-wave order parameter and insights into the coexistence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism.

Contribution

First to determine the momentum-dependent gap function in a pressure-induced superconductor using field rotation experiments.

Findings

Four-fold modulation in density of states observed

Supports d-wave symmetry of the superconducting gap

Provides constraints on theories of superconductivity-magnetism interplay

Abstract

We report field-orientation specific heat studies of the pressure-induced heavy fermion superconductor CeRhIn5. Theses experiments provide the momentum-dependent superconducting gap function for the first time in any pressure-induced superconductor. In the coexisting phase of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism, field rotation within the Ce-In plane reveals four-fold modulation in the density of states, which favors a d-wave order parameter and constrains a theory of the interplay between superconductivity and magnetism.