Fully gapped superconducting state in Au2Pb: a natural candidate for topological superconductor

TL;DR

This study investigates the superconducting properties of Au$_2$Pb, revealing a fully gapped state consistent with topological superconductivity, through low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence that Au$_2$Pb has a fully gapped superconducting state, supporting its candidacy as a topological superconductor.

Findings

Electronic specific heat fits a two-band s-wave model.

Negligible residual linear thermal conductivity in zero field.

Slow field dependence of thermal conductivity at low fields.

Abstract

We measured the ultra-low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity of Au$_2$Pb single crystal, a possible three-dimensional Dirac semimetal with a superconducting transition temperature $T_c \approx$ 1.05 K. The electronic specific heat can be fitted by a two-band s-wave model, which gives the gap amplitudes $\Delta_1$(0)/$k_BT_c$ = 1.38 and $\Delta_2$(0)/$k_BT_c$ = 5.25. From the thermal conductivity measurements, a negligible residual linear term $\kappa_0/T$ in zero field and a slow field dependence of $\kappa_0/T$ at low field are obtained. These results suggest that Au$_2$Pb has a fully gapped superconducting state in the bulk, which is a necessary condition for topological superconductor if Au$_2$Pb is indeed one.