Multicomponent superconducting order parameter in UTe2

An unconventional superconducting state was recently discovered in uranium ditelluride (UTe2), in which spin-triplet superconductivity emerges from the paramagnetic normal state of a heavy-fermion material. The coexistence of magnetic fluctuations and superconductivity, together with the crystal structure of this material, suggests that a distinctive set of symmetries, magnetic properties, and topology underlie the superconducting state. Here, we report observations of a nonzero polar Kerr effect and of two transitions in the specific heat upon entering the superconducting state, which together suggest that the superconductivity in UTe2 is characterized by a two-component order parameter that breaks time-reversal symmetry. These data place constraints on the symmetries of the order parameter and inform the discussion on the presence of topological superconductivity in UTe2.

Automated summary

The superconductivity in UTe2 is characterized by a two-component order parameter that breaks time-reversal symmetry, as shown by observations of a nonzero polar Kerr effect and two transitions in specific heat. These findings place constraints on the symmetries of the order parameter and contribute to the discussion on the presence of topological superconductivity in UTe2.