EAGER: Resolving the issue of pairing symmetry in Sr2RuO4

EAGER：解决 Sr2RuO4 中的配对对称性问题

• 批准号: 2312899
• 负责人: Ying Liu
• 金额: $ 25.32万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-05-15 至 2025-04-30
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2312899&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EAGER; Resolving; issue; pairing; symmetry

Non-technical description:Superconductivity is a macroscopic quantum phenomenon highly relevant to quantum computing and other quantum technologies. The drive towards quantum computing calls for deeper understanding of the fundamental physics of superconductivity. For example, the implementation of fault tolerant topological quantum computing may be achievable with exotic spin-triplet superconductors. Single-layer strontium ruthenate (SRO) had been a leading candidate for a spin-triplet superconductor up to 2019. However, it turned out that one of the experiments that supported that claim in SRO is incorrect. This led to a controversy on the nature of superconductivity in this material. This experimental and theoretical project will aim to address this controversy as well as train future scientists from underrepresented minority communities in STEM to help meet the human resource needs of emerging quantum technologies.Technical description:The symmetry properties of the superconducting order parameter, which consists of orbital and spin parts, are of fundamental interest for superconductivity research. Single-layer strontium ruthenate (SRO) was considered a leading candidate for spin-triplet superconductivity up to 2019 when results from an important NMR Knight shift experiment from 1998, which probes the spin part of the order parameter, was shown to be incorrect. This led to suggestions by some researchers that SRO is actually a spin singlet. On the other hand, the Josephson effect based phase-sensitive experiments on SRO, which have remained largely unchallenged, suggest that the orbital part of the order parameter in SRO is of an odd parity, which implies that SRO is a spin triplet due to the presence of an inversion symmetry in this material. The heated debate on the pairing symmetry in SRO calls for new theoretical insights and additional experimental inputs. This project aims to strengthen the previous determination of the odd parity order parameter in SRO as well as identify ways to reconcile this with work probing the spin degrees of freedom.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术描述：超导是一种宏观量子现象，与量子计算和其他量子技术高度相关。推动量子计算需要对超导的基本物理有更深的理解。例如，使用奇异的自旋三重态超导体可以实现容错拓扑量子计算。截至2019年，单层钌酸锶（SRO）一直是自旋三重态超导体的主要候选材料。然而，事实证明，在SRO中支持这一说法的一个实验是不正确的。这引起了关于这种材料的超导性质的争论。这个实验和理论项目旨在解决这一争议，并培养来自STEM中代表性不足的少数民族社区的未来科学家，以帮助满足新兴量子技术的人力资源需求。技术描述：超导序参量由轨道和自旋两部分组成，其对称性是超导研究的基础。直到2019年，单层钌酸锶（SRO）一直被认为是自旋三重态超导的主要候选者，但1998年一项重要的NMR奈特位移实验的结果被证明是不正确的，该实验探测了自旋部分的有序参数。这导致一些研究人员提出，SRO实际上是一个自旋单线态。另一方面，基于Josephson效应的SRO相敏实验表明，SRO中序参量的轨道部分具有奇宇称，这意味着SRO是一个自旋三重态，因为这种材料中存在反转对称性。关于SRO中对对称性的激烈争论需要新的理论见解和额外的实验输入。本项目旨在加强SRO中奇宇称序参数的先前确定，并确定将其与探测自旋自由度的工作相协调的方法。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。