%0 Journal Article %1 doi:10.1126/science.abe7518 %A Khim, S. %A Landaeta, J. F. %A Banda, J. %A Bannor, N. %A Brando, M. %A Brydon, P. M. R. %A Hafner, D. %A Küchler, R. %A Cardoso-Gil, R. %A Stockert, U. %A Mackenzie, A. P. %A Agterberg, D. F. %A Geibel, C. %A Hassinger, E. %D 2021 %J Science %K a %N 6558 %P 1012-1016 %R 10.1126/science.abe7518 %T Field-induced transition within the superconducting state of CeRh$_2$As$_2$ %U https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.abe7518 %V 373 %X Most superconductors have only one superconducting phase. Khim et al. measured the magnetic susceptibility of the heavy fermion material CeRh2As2 to reveal the presence of two distinct superconducting phases, one of which emerges from the other when an external magnetic field is applied (see the Perspective by Pourret and Knebel). The researchers ascribe the unusual properties of CeRh2As2 to its crystal structure, which is globally centrosymmetric but consists of noncentrosymmetric layers. —JS Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the existence of two distinct superconducting phases. Materials with multiple superconducting phases are rare. Here, we report the discovery of two-phase unconventional superconductivity in CeRh2As2. Using thermodynamic probes, we establish that the superconducting critical field of its high-field phase is as high as 14 tesla, even though the transition temperature is only 0.26 kelvin. Furthermore, a transition between two different superconducting phases is observed in a c axis magnetic field. Local inversion-symmetry breaking at the cerium sites enables Rashba spin-orbit coupling alternating between the cerium sublayers. The staggered Rashba coupling introduces a layer degree of freedom to which the field-induced transition and high critical field seen in experiment are likely related.

@article{doi:10.1126/science.abe7518, abstract = {Most superconductors have only one superconducting phase. Khim et al. measured the magnetic susceptibility of the heavy fermion material CeRh2As2 to reveal the presence of two distinct superconducting phases, one of which emerges from the other when an external magnetic field is applied (see the Perspective by Pourret and Knebel). The researchers ascribe the unusual properties of CeRh2As2 to its crystal structure, which is globally centrosymmetric but consists of noncentrosymmetric layers. —JS Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate the existence of two distinct superconducting phases. Materials with multiple superconducting phases are rare. Here, we report the discovery of two-phase unconventional superconductivity in CeRh2As2. Using thermodynamic probes, we establish that the superconducting critical field of its high-field phase is as high as 14 tesla, even though the transition temperature is only 0.26 kelvin. Furthermore, a transition between two different superconducting phases is observed in a c axis magnetic field. Local inversion-symmetry breaking at the cerium sites enables Rashba spin-orbit coupling alternating between the cerium sublayers. The staggered Rashba coupling introduces a layer degree of freedom to which the field-induced transition and high critical field seen in experiment are likely related.}, added-at = {2023-11-16T14:35:59.000+0100}, author = {Khim, S. and Landaeta, J. F. and Banda, J. and Bannor, N. and Brando, M. and Brydon, P. M. R. and Hafner, D. and Küchler, R. and Cardoso-Gil, R. and Stockert, U. and Mackenzie, A. P. and Agterberg, D. F. and Geibel, C. and Hassinger, E.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/26981da196cb16a02bfb9705fcf55e198/ctqmat}, day = 26, doi = {10.1126/science.abe7518}, eprint = {https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.abe7518}, interhash = {3cb303f9a9a4f041a54006a31b32557f}, intrahash = {6981da196cb16a02bfb9705fcf55e198}, journal = {Science}, keywords = {a}, month = {08}, number = 6558, pages = {1012-1016}, timestamp = {2023-11-16T14:35:59.000+0100}, title = {Field-induced transition within the superconducting state of CeRh$_{\mathbf{2}}$As$_{\mathbf{2}}$}, url = {https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.abe7518}, volume = 373, year = 2021 }