Evidence for spin mixing in holmium thin film and crystal samples

In a number of recent experiments, holmium has been shown to promote spin-triplet pairing when in proximity to a spin-singlet superconductor. The condition for the support of spin-triplet pairing is that the ferromagnet should have an inhomogeneous magnetic state at the interface with the superconductor. Here we use Andreev reflection spectroscopy to study the properties of single ferromagnet/superconductor interfaces formed of holmium and niobium, as a function of the contact resistance of the junction between them. We find that both single-crystal and c-axis-oriented thin-film holmium show unusual behavior for low junction contact resistance, characteristic of spin-mixing-type properties, which are thought necessary to underpin spin-triplet formation. We also explore whether this signature is observed when the junction is formed of Ni0.19Pd0.81 and niobium.