Visualizing the Odd-parity Superconducting Order Parameter and its Quasiparticle Surface Band in UTe2

Abstract

A distinctive identifier of nodal intrinsic topological superconductivity (ITS) would the appearance of an Andreev bound state on crystal surfaces parallel to the nodal axis, in the form of a topological quasiparticle surface band (QSB) appearing only for $T < T_C$. Moreover, theory shows that specific QSB characteristics observable in tunneling to an s-wave superconductor can distinguish between chiral and non-chiral ITS order parameter $Δ_k$. To search for such phenomena in $\text{UTe}_2$, s-wave superconductive scan-tip scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging was employed. It reveals an intense zero-energy Andreev conductance maximum at the $\text{UTe}_2$ (0-11) crystal termination. Development of the zero-energy Andreev conductance peak into two finite-energy particle-hole symmetric conductance maxima as the tunnel barrier is reduced, then signifies that $\text{UTe}_2$ superconductivity is non-chiral. Quasiparticle interference imaging (QPI) for an ITS material should be dominated by the QSB for energies within the superconductive energy gap $|E| \le Δ$, so that bulk $Δ(k)$ characteristics of the ITS can only be detected excursively. Again using a superconducting scan-tip, the in-gap quasiparticle interference patterns of the QSB of $\text{UTe}_2$ were visualized. Specifically, a band of Bogoliubov quasiparticles appears as a characteristic sextet $q_i$ :$i = 1-6$ of interference wavevectors showing that QSB dispersions $k(E)$ occur only for energies $|E| \le Δ_{max}$ and only within the range of Fermi momenta projected onto the (0-11) crystal surface. In combination, these phenomena are consistent with a bulk $Δ(k)$ exhibiting spin triplet, time-reversal conserving, odd-parity, a-axis nodal, $B_{3u}$ symmetry in $\text{UTe}_2$.