Single-Component Superconductivity in UTe$_2$ at Ambient Pressure

Abstract

The microscopic mechanism of Cooper pairing in a superconductor leaves its fingerprint on the symmetry of the order parameter. UTe$_2$ has been inferred to have a multi-component order parameter that entails exotic effects like time reversal symmetry breaking. However, recent experimental observations in newer-generation samples have raised questions about this interpretation, pointing to the need for a direct experimental probe of the order parameter symmetry. Here, we use pulse echo ultrasound to measure the elastic moduli of samples of UTe$_2$ that exhibit both one and two superconducting transitions. We demonstrate the absence of thermodynamic discontinuities in the shear elastic moduli of both single- and double-transition samples, providing direct evidence that UTe$_2$ has a single-component superconducting order parameter. We further show that the superconductivity is highly sensitive to compression strain along the $a$ and $c$ axes, but insensitive to strain along the $b$ axis. This leads us to suggest a single-component, odd-parity order parameter$-$specifically the B$_{2u}$ order parameter$-$as the most likely order parameter in UTe$_2$.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures, 5 table