Odd-parity quasiparticle interference in the superconductive surface state of UTe<sub>2</sub>

Although no known material exhibits intrinsic topological superconductivity, where a spin-triplet electron pairing potential has odd parity, UTe2 is now the leading candidate. Generally, the parity of a superconducting order parameter can be established using Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference imaging. However, odd-parity superconductors should support a topological quasiparticle surface band at energies within the maximum superconducting energy gap. Quasiparticle interference should then be dominated by the electronic structure of the quasiparticle surface band and only reveal the characteristics of the bulk order parameter indirectly. Here we demonstrate that at the (0–11) cleave surface of UTe2, a band of Bogoliubov quasiparticles appears only in the superconducting state. Performing high-resolution quasiparticle interference measurements then allows us to explore the dispersion of states in this superconductive surface band, showing that they exist only within the range of Fermi momenta projected onto the (0–11) surface. Finally, we develop a theoretical framework to predict the quasiparticle interference signatures of this surface band at the (0–11) surface. Its predictions are consistent with the experimental results if the bulk superconducting order parameter exhibits time-reversal conserving, odd-parity, a-axis nodal, B3u symmetry. © The Author(s) 2025.

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Publication Details

Journal
MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society)
Published
2025-09-18
Primary Topic
Rare-earth and actinide compounds
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article
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article

Odd-parity quasiparticle interference in the superconductive surface state of UTe2

Q. Gu, J. Carroll, C. Bena, B. Hu et al.
MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society)
Rare-earth and actinide compounds
article

Odd-parity quasiparticle interference in the superconductive surface state of UTe2

Q. Gu, J. Carroll, C. Bena, B. Hu, J. Paglione, C. Pepin, S. Saha, A. Crepieux, C. Broyles, E. Pangburn, S. Wang, S. Ran, J. Davis, N. Butch, X. Liu, K. Zhussupbekov
article en

Abstract

Although no known material exhibits intrinsic topological superconductivity, where a spin-triplet electron pairing potential has odd parity, UTe2 is now the leading candidate. Generally, the parity of a superconducting order parameter can be established using Bogoliubov quasiparticle interference imaging. However, odd-parity superconductors should support a topological quasiparticle surface band at energies within the maximum superconducting energy gap. Quasiparticle interference should then be dominated by the electronic structure of the quasiparticle surface band and only reveal the characteristics of the bulk order parameter indirectly. Here we demonstrate that at the (0–11) cleave surface of UTe2, a band of Bogoliubov quasiparticles appears only in the superconducting state. Performing high-resolution quasiparticle interference measurements then allows us to explore the dispersion of states in this superconductive surface band, showing that they exist only within the range of Fermi momenta projected onto the (0–11) surface. Finally, we develop a theoretical framework to predict the quasiparticle interference signatures of this surface band at the (0–11) surface. Its predictions are consistent with the experimental results if the bulk superconducting order parameter exhibits time-reversal conserving, odd-parity, a-axis nodal, B3u symmetry. © The Author(s) 2025.

MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society)
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Rare-earth and actinide compounds
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