Measurement of the Flux Line Lattice in Heavy Fermion Superconductor U6Fe
U6Fe becomes superconducting below 4 K and has an exceptionally high critical field (Hc2) of 10 - 13 T (depending on direction). We have recently discovered a charge density wave (CDW) with period 66 Å appears below 10 K and coexists with the superconducting state below 4 K. For U6Fe a CDW may promote a long sought modulated phase of superconductivity known as a Fulde-Ferrell Larkin Ovchinnikov state. Studies of the flux line lattice (FLL) can provide a wealth of information about the detailed nature of the superconducting state in a material. In the case of U6Fe where such a high Hc2 exists, it is possible to have a synchronisation field where the periodicity of the FLL synchronises with the period of the CDW. At fields close to the synchronisation field the geometry of the FLL is expected to deform and its orientation could change. For a perfectly hexagonal FLL a 3:1 synchronisation will occur at a field close to 4.4 T. This would provide direct evidence of a FLL-CDW interaction. Our proposal is to measure the geometry of the FLL in the field range crossing this synchronisation fields to look for such changes.
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ONEILL Christopher; CUBITT Robert and HUXLEY Andrew D.. (2018). Measurement of the Flux Line Lattice in Heavy Fermion Superconductor U6Fe. Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) doi:10.5291/ILL-DATA.5-14-262
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