Competition of multiband superconducting and magnetic order in ErNi2B2C observed by Andreev reflection Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Point contacts (PC) Andreev reflection dV/dI spectra for the antiferromagnetic (TN6 K) superconductor (Tc11 K) ErNi2B2C have been measured for the two main crystallographic directions. The observed retention of the Andreev reflection minima in dV/dI up to Tc directly points to an unusual superconducting order parameter (OP) vanishing at Tc. The temperature dependence of the OP was obtained from dV/dI using the recent theory of Andreev reflection including the pair-breaking effect. For the first time the existence of two superconducting OPs in ErNi2B2C is shown. A distinct decrease of both OPs as temperature is lowered below TN is observed. 2008 Europhysics Letters Association.

published proceedings

  • EPL

author list (cited authors)

  • Bobrov, N. L., Chernobay, V. N., Naidyuk, Y. G., Tyutrina, L. V., Naugle, D. G., Rathnayaka, K., ... Yanson, I. K.

citation count

  • 11

complete list of authors

  • Bobrov, NL||Chernobay, VN||Naidyuk, Yu G||Tyutrina, LV||Naugle, DG||Rathnayaka, KDD||Bud'ko, SL||Canfield, PC||Yanson, IK

publication date

  • August 2008