Evidence of P-wave Pairing in K$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$ Superconductors from Phase-sensitive Measurement

Abstract

P-wave superconductors hold immense promise for both fundamental physics and practical applications due to their unusual pairing symmetry and potential topological superconductivity. However, the exploration of the p-wave superconductors has proved to be a complex endeavor. Not only are they rare in nature but also the identification of p-wave superconductors has been an arduous task in history. For example, phase-sensitive measurement, an experimental technique which can provide conclusive evidence for unconventional pairing, has not been implemented successfully to identify p-wave superconductors. Here, we study a recently discovered family of superconductors, A$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$ (A = K, Rb, Cs), which were proposed theoretically to be a candidate of p-wave superconductors. We fabricate superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) on exfoliated K$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$, and perform the phase-sensitive measurement. We observe that such SQUIDs exhibit a pronounced second-order harmonic component sin(2$\pi$) in the current-phase relation, suggesting the admixture of 0- and $\pi$-phase. By carefully examining the magnetic field dependence of the oscillation patterns of critical current and Shapiro steps under microwave irradiation, we reveal a crossover from 0- to $\pi$-dominating phase state and conclude that the existence of the $\pi$-phase is in favor of the p-wave pairing symmetry in K$_2$Cr$_3$As$_3$.