Evidence for Two Gaps and Breakdown of the Uemura Plot in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ Single Crystals

TL;DR

This study investigates the lower critical field in Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ single crystals, revealing two superconducting gaps and the breakdown of the Uemura plot, with implications for understanding high-temperature superconductivity.

Contribution

It provides direct evidence of two-gap superconductivity and demonstrates the breakdown of the Uemura plot in FeAs-122 superconductors.

Findings

Identification of two superconducting gaps with specific energies.

Observation of a kink in $H_{c1}(T)$ indicating two-gap behavior.

Breakdown of the Uemura plot in these superconductors.

Abstract

We report a detailed investigation on the lower critical field $H_{c1}$ of the superconducting Ba$_{0.6}$K$_{0.4}$Fe$_2$As$_2$ (FeAs-122) single crystals. A pronounced kink is observed on the $H_{c1}(T)$ curve, which is attributed to the existence of two superconducting gaps. By fitting the data $H_{c1}(T)$ to the two-gap BCS model in full temperature region, a small gap of $\Delta_a(0)=2.0\pm 0.3$ meV and a large gap of $\Delta_b(0)=8.9\pm 0.4$ meV are obtained. The in-plane penetration depth $\lambda_{ab}(0)$ is estimated to be 105 nm corresponding to a rather large superfluid density, which points to the breakdown of the Uemura plot in FeAs-122 superconductors.