Heat capacity of type I superconductivity in the Dirac semimetal PdTe$_2$

TL;DR

This study confirms type I superconductivity in PdTe$_2$ through specific heat measurements, revealing conventional BCS behavior and thermodynamic evidence for the intermediate state, enriching understanding of its complex phase diagram.

Contribution

The paper provides thermodynamic evidence for type I superconductivity in PdTe$_2$ using specific heat measurements, highlighting the intermediate state and complex phase behavior.

Findings

Confirmation of weak-coupling BCS superconductivity in PdTe$_2$

Observation of the intermediate state via specific heat broadening

Irreversibility in specific heat at high fields

Abstract

Type I superconductivity has recently been reported for the Dirac semimetal PdTe$_2$ (Tc approximately 1.6K) with, remarkably, multiple critical fields and a complex phase diagram. Here, measurements of the specific heat utilizing a thermal relaxation technique are presented. Conventional weak-coupling BCS superconductivity is confirmed by examining the temperature dependence of the specific heat in zero field. By probing the latent heat accompanying the superconducting transition, thermodynamic evidence for type I superconductivity is attained. The presence of the intermediate state is observed as a significant broadening of the superconducting transition onto lower temperatures at high fields as well as irreversibility in the specific heat in zero field cooled data at 8.5 mT.