Magnetic penetration depth and self-induced irradiation effects in superconducting PuCoGa5 probed by muon spin rotation

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials Vol. 310; no. 2; pp. 566 - 568
• Main Authors: OHISHI, K, HEFFNER, R. H, HIGEMOTO, W, MORRIS, G. D, FLUSS, M. J, BAUER, E. D, MORALES, L. A, SARRAO, J. L, MACLAUGHLIN, D. E, SHU, L, ITO, T. U
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Science 01-03-2007
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic properties; Metals, alloys and compounds (a15, 001c15, laves phases, chevrel phases, borocarbides, etc.); Physics; Properties of type I and type II superconductors; Superconducting materials (excluding high-tc compounds); Superconductivity; Muon spin relaxation; Superconducting transitions; Self-irradiation; Superconductivity; Order parameters; f-electron; Penetration depth; Superconductors; Aging; Muon spin rotation; Plutonium; 74.60.-w; 76.65.+i
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2006.10.152

Freshly prepared samples of PuCoGa5 have the highest superconducting critical temperature of all f-electron superconductors. In addition, this material undergoes self-irradiation from the radioactive decay of the Pu nuclei. We report muon spin rotation (muSR) measurements of the superconducting penetration depth lambda in 400 day-old single crystalline samples of PuCoGa5 , and compare these results to muSR measurements taken on the same samples after only 25 days of aging , in order to elucidate the symmetry of the order parameter and its dependence on aging. The experiments show that the low-temperature superfluid density ns decreases linearly with increasing T in both fresh and aged PuCoGa5, consistent with a line of nodes in the order parameter.