空間反転対称性のない系
 
       
 
The study of noncentrosymmetric superconductors is an interesting subject. Noncentrosymmetric superconductors have been extensively investigated since the discovery of superconductivity in CePt3Si. Materials without spatial inversion symmetry has a unique property that the degeneracy of bands with spin up and spin down is lifted in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. In this case, spin singlet and spin triplet Cooper pairs can coexist to form a mixed pairing state. Examples of noncentrosymemtric superconductors are

   CePt3Si  (Tc = 0.75K)
   LaPt3Si
  UIr   (under pressure)
  CeRhSi3
  Li2Pd3B
  Li2Pt3B
  CeIrSi3
  LaNiC2  (Tc = 2.7K)

The existence of line nodes in the gap function is suggested for CePt3Si, Li2Pd3B and Li2Pt3B.

We are interested in LaNiC2 which exhibits relatively high temperature superconductivity with Tc = 2.7K among these compounds.  The isostructural compound YNiC2 also shows superconductivity when Th is substituted for Y. The maximum of Tc is Tc &sim 8.3K in Y0.5Th0.5NiC2 [2]. We have carried out the first principles calculation for LaNiC2 [3].

Recently, the time reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking has been observed through zero-field muon spin resonance [4]. This is very interesting since the TRS breaking strongly suggests unconventional superconductivity.


References

[1] W. H. Lee et al.: Solid State Commun. 101 (1997) 323.
[2] K. J. Syu et al.: Solid State Commun. 141 (2007) 519.
[3] I. Hase and T. Yanagisawa: J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 78 (2009) 084724.
 "Electronic Structure of RNiC2 (R = La, Y, and Th)"
[4] A. D. Hiller et al.: Phys. Rev. Lett. 102 (2009) 117007.
[5] J. Quintanilla et al.: Phys. Rev. B82 (2010) 174511.
 
 
 
  Condensed Matter Physics: Electronics Research Institute