Evidence of fully-gapped superconductivity in NbReSi: A combined $\mu$SR and NMR study

TL;DR

This study provides evidence that NbReSi is a fully-gapped, multigap superconductor with preserved time-reversal symmetry, characterized by a large upper critical field exceeding the Pauli limit, using combined $bc$SR and NMR techniques.

Contribution

It is the first comprehensive investigation demonstrating the nodeless, multigap superconductivity and time-reversal symmetry preservation in NbReSi through combined muon-spin rotation and NMR measurements.

Findings

NbReSi has a $T_c$ of 6.5 K and a large upper critical field exceeding the Pauli limit.

Evidence of multigap superconductivity from field-dependent $bc$SR and specific heat data.

No spontaneous magnetic fields below $T_c$, indicating preserved time-reversal symmetry.

Abstract

We report a comprehensive study of the noncentrosymmetric NbReSi superconductor by means of muon-spin rotation and relaxation ($\mu$SR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. NbReSi is a bulk superconductor with $T_c = 6.5$ K, characterized by a large upper critical field, which exceeds the Pauli limit. Both the superfluid density $\rho_\mathrm{sc}(T)$ (determined via transverse-field $\mu$SR) and the spin-lattice relaxation rate $T_1^{-1}(T)$ (determined via NMR) suggest a nodeless superconductivity (SC) in NbReSi. We also find signatures of multigap SC, here evidenced by the field-dependent muon-spin relaxation rate and the electronic specific-heat coefficient. The absence of spontaneous magnetic fields below $T_c$, as evinced from zero-field $\mu$SR measurements, indicates a preserved time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of NbReSi. Finally, we discuss possible reasons for the unusually large upper critical field of NbReSi, most likely arising from its anisotropic crystal structure.