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The superconductive energy gap of UPt3 investigated by point-contact spectroscopy

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Abstract

Point-contact spectroscopy, via the mechanism of Andreev reflection between a normal metal and a superconductor, can be employed to obtain information about the superconductive energy gap. In the present work, point-contacts between the heavy-fermion superconductor UPt3 and Pt have been studied down to 36 mK and in magnetic fields up to 6 T. Andreev reflection is observed only in the low-field, low-temperature superconducting phase. The unusual temperature and magneticfield dependence together with the gap anisotropy give direct experimental evidence that the different superconductive phases in UPt3 have distinctly different order parameters.

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Löhneysen, H.v., Goll, G. The superconductive energy gap of UPt3 investigated by point-contact spectroscopy. J Low Temp Phys 95, 199–203 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00754936

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