High Resolution Polar Kerr Effect Measurements of Sr 2 RuO 4 : Evidence for Broken Time-Reversal Symmetry in the Superconducting State
Year: 2006
Type: article
Abstract: The polar Kerr effect in the spin-triplet superconductor ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$ was measured with high precision using a Sagnac interferometer with a zero-area Sagnac loop. We observed nonzero Kerr rotations as big as 65 nanorad appearing below ${T}_{c}$ in large domains. Our results imply a broken time-reversal symmetry state in the superconducting state of ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{RuO}}_{4}$, similar to $^{3}\mathrm{He}\mathrm{\text{\ensuremath{-}}}A$.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Institutions: Stanford University, Kyoto University, San Jose State University
Language: English
Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2039319239