Intertwined Orders in Heavy-Fermion Superconductor CeCoIn$_5$

TL;DR

This study uncovers an additional intertwined order within the magnetic Q phase of CeCoIn$_5$, revealing complex interactions between superconductivity and magnetism through thermal conductivity measurements in a rotating magnetic field.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of a secondary p-wave pair-density-wave order coupled with SDW and d-wave superconductivity, advancing understanding of intertwined orders in heavy-fermion superconductors.

Findings

Discontinuous thermal conductivity change with magnetic field rotation.

Evidence for a secondary p-wave order component.

Intertwined magnetic and superconducting orders in CeCoIn$_5$.

Abstract

The appearance of spin-density-wave (SDW) magnetic order in the low-temperature and high-field corner of the superconducting phase diagram of CeCoIn$_5$ is unique among unconventional superconductors. The nature of this magnetic $Q$ phase is a matter of current debate. Here, we present the thermal conductivity of CeCoIn$_5$ in a rotating magnetic field, which reveals the presence of an additional order inside the $Q$ phase that is intimately intertwined with the superconducting $d$-wave and SDW orders. A discontinuous change of the thermal conductivity within the $Q$ phase, when the magnetic field is rotated about antinodes of the superconducting $d$-wave order parameter, demands that the additional order must change abruptly together with the recently observed switching of the SDW. A combination of interactions, where spin-orbit coupling orients the SDW, which then selects the secondary $p$-wave pair-density-wave component (with an average amplitude of 20\% of the primary $d$-wave order parameter), accounts for the observed behavior.