Evidence for superconductivity with broken time-reversal symmetry in locally noncentrosymmetric SrPtAs

Abstract

We report the magnetic and superconducting properties of locally noncentrosymmetric SrPtAs obtained by muon-spin-rotation/relaxation (μSR) measurements. Zero-field μSR reveals the occurrence of small spontaneous static magnetic fields with the onset of superconductivity. This finding suggests that the superconducting state of SrPtAs breaks time-reversal symmetry. The superfluid density as determined by transverse field μSR is nearly flat approaching T=0 K proving the absence of extended nodes in the gap function. By symmetry, several superconducting states supporting time-reversal-symmetry breaking in SrPtAs are allowed. Out of these, a dominantly d+id (chiral d-wave) order parameter is most consistent with our experimental data. © 2013 American Physical Society.