The magnetic superconducting mysteries of heavy-fermion metal UTe2

UTe₂ , which confounds a 60-year-old theory of superconductivity, has captured the scientific community’s attention ever since it was discovered in 2018.
Researchers at Irig have now determined that a much stronger than normal magnetic field is required to destroy UTe₂ ’s superconductivity.
Even more surprising is that the material’s superconductivity actually gets stronger under magnetic fields between 15 tesla and 35 tesla—ten to a hundred times stronger than what conventional materials can withstand.
And, under a magnetic field between 45 tesla and 60 tesla, a new superconducting state is observed.
A “spin-triplet” state could explain this particularly robust superconductivity.
Neutron scattering experiments at ILL point to magnetic fluctuations as playing a role in UTe₂ ’s unusual behavior.

Contacts: georg.knebel@cea.fr; stephane.raymond@cea.fr

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