Muon spin rotation study of the topological superconductor SrxBi2Se3

TL;DR

This study uses muon spin rotation to investigate the superconducting properties of Sr$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$, revealing bulk superconductivity and providing bounds on magnetic penetration depth, with implications for topological superconductivity.

Contribution

First muon spin rotation study on Sr$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$ demonstrating bulk superconductivity and characterizing magnetic penetration depth.

Findings

No flux line lattice damping observed below $T_c$

Bulk superconductivity confirmed with ~70% volume fraction

Lower bound on magnetic penetration depth $ ext{≥} 2.3 \,\mu$m

Abstract

We report transverse-field (TF) muon spin rotation experiments on single crystals of the topological superconductor Sr$_x$Bi$_2$Se$_3$ with nominal concentrations $x=0.15$ and $0.18$ ($T_c \sim 3$ K). The TF spectra ($B= 10$ mT), measured after cooling to below $T_c$ in field, did not show any additional damping of the muon precession signal due to the flux line lattice within the experimental uncertainty. This puts a lower bound on the magnetic penetration depth $\lambda \geq 2.3 ~\mu$m. However, when we induce disorder in the vortex lattice by changing the magnetic field below $T_c$ a sizeable damping rate is obtained for $T \rightarrow 0$. The data provide microscopic evidence for a superconducting volume fraction of $\sim 70~ \%$ in the $x=0.18$ crystal and thus bulk superconductivity.