Charge fluctuations and nodeless superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional Ta$_{4}$Pd$_{3}$Te$_{16}$ revealed by $^{125}$Te-NMR and $^{181}$Ta-NQR

TL;DR

This study uses NMR and NQR techniques to investigate charge fluctuations and superconductivity in quasi-one-dimensional Ta4Pd3Te16, revealing charge density wave fluctuations and a nodeless superconducting gap below 4.3 K.

Contribution

It demonstrates the development of charge density wave fluctuations and confirms nodeless superconductivity in Ta4Pd3Te16 through detailed NMR and NQR analysis.

Findings

EFG fluctuations develop below 80 K

Charge density wave sets in at 20 K

Superconducting state shows a Hebel-Slichter peak indicating a full-gap superconductor

Abstract

We report $^{125}$Te nuclear magnetic resonance and $^{181}$Ta nuclear quadrupole resonance studies on single-crystal Ta$_{4}$Pd$_{3}$Te$_{16}$, which has a quasi-one-dimensional structure and superconducts below $T_{\rm c}=4.3$ K. $^{181}$Ta with spin $I=7/2$ is sensitive to quadrupole interactions, while $^{125}$Te with spin $I=1/2$ can only relax by magnetic interactions. By comparing the spin-lattice relaxation rate ( $1/T_{1}$) of $^{181}$Ta and $^{125}$Te, we found that electric-field-gradient (EFG) fluctuations develop below $80$ K. The EFG fluctuations are enhanced with decreasing temperature due to the fluctuations of a charge density wave that sets in at $T_{\rm CDW}=20$ K, below which the spectra are broadened and $1/T_{1}T$ drops sharply. In the superconducting state, $1/T_{1}$ shows a Hebel-Slichter coherence peak just below $T_{\rm c}$ for $^{125}$Te, indicating that Ta$_{4}$Pd$_{3}$Te$_{16}$ is a full-gap superconductor without nodes in the gap function. The coherence peak is absent in the $1/T_{1}$ of $^{181}$Ta due to the strong EFG fluctuations.