Dimensionality of the reinforced superconductivity in UTe2
Superconductivity in the heavy-fermion metal UTe<sub>2</sub> survives under high magnetic fields, presenting both an intriguing puzzle and an experimental challenge. The non-perturbative influence of the magnetic field complicates the determination of superconducting order parameters in the high-field phases. Here, we report electronic transport anisotropy measurements in precisely aligned microbars in magnetic fields to 45 T. Our results reveal a highly directional vortex pinning force in the field-reinforced phase. The critical current is significantly suppressed for currents only along the c-direction, where the flux-flow voltage vanishes with slight angular misalignments-hallmarks of vortex lock-in transitions typically seen in quasi-2D superconductors like cuprates and pnictides. This marks the observation of a transition into a vortex lock-in state at the boundary between two distinct superconducting states. These findings challenge assumptions of nearly isotropic charge transport in UTe<sub>2</sub> and point to enhanced two-dimensionality in the high-field state, consistent with a change in the order parameter.
Authors
- Eric D. Bauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0017-1937)
- Carsten Putzke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6205-9863)
- M M Bordelon
- Philip J. W. Moll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7616-5886)
- F. Ronning (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2679-7957)
- P. F. S. Rosa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3437-548X)
- Chunyu Guo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8339-7477)
- Ling Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0935-6372)
- David E Graf (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6195-0462)
- S. M. Thomas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0889-4435)
Institutions
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (US)
- Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-11-21
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-66288-5
- Primary Topic
- Rare-earth and actinide compounds
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
- Division of Materials Research
- Basic Energy Sciences
- High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences