Strong-coupling d-wave superconductivity in PuCoGa ₅ probed by point-contact spectroscopy

Abstract

Superconductivity is due to an attractive interaction between electrons that, below a critical temperature, drives them to form Cooper pairs and to condense into a ground state separated by an energy gap from the unpaired states. In the simplest cases, the pairing is mediated by lattice vibrations and the wavefunction of the pairs is isotropic. Less conventional pairing mechanisms can favour more exotic symmetries of the Cooper pairs. Here, we report on point-contact spectroscopy measurements in PuCoGa ₅, a moderate heavy-fermion superconductor with a record high critical temperature T _c=18.5 K. The results prove that the wavefunction of the paired electrons has a d-wave symmetry, with four lobes and nodes, and show that the pairing is likely to be mediated by spin fluctuations. Electronic structure calculations, which take into account the full structure of the f-orbital multiplets of Pu, provide a hint of the possible origin of these fluctuations.

Abstract

The heavy-fermion material PuCoGa ₅ is characterized by unconventional superconducting properties. By combining point-contact spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, this study reveals a d-wave symmetry in the system's order parameter.