Evidence for multiband superconductivity in the heavy fermion compound UNi2Al3

TL;DR

This study provides evidence for multiband superconductivity in UNi2Al3, showing anisotropic properties and unconventional pairing, with implications for understanding heavy fermion superconductors.

Contribution

The paper presents experimental evidence of multiband superconductivity and anisotropic magnetic interactions in UNi2Al3, a heavy fermion superconductor.

Findings

Superconducting transition temperature depends on current direction.

Magnetic ordering at 5K influences resistivity anisotropically.

Upper critical field indicates unconventional spin-singlet pairing.

Abstract

Epitaxial thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi2Al3 with Tc{max}=0.98K were investigated. The transition temperature Tc depends on the current direction which can be related to superconducting gaps opening at different temperatures. Also the influence of the magnetic ordering at TN=5K on R(T) is strongly anisotropic indicating different coupling between the magnetic moments and itinerant charge carriers on the multi-sheeted Fermi surface. The upper critical field Hc2(T) suggests an unconventional spin-singlet superconducting state.