Ultrasound evidence for multicomponent superconducting order parameter in Ba1−xKxFe2As2 with electron quadrupling phase

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Contributors

Abstract

Experiments have pointed to the formation of the electron quadrupling condensate in Ba1−xKxFe2As2 at x ~ 0.8. The state spontaneously breaks time-reversal symmetry and is sandwiched between two critical points, separating it from the broken time-reversal symmetry (BTRS) superconducting state at TcU(1) and a normal-metal state at TcZ2. We report a theory of the acoustic effects spectroscopy of systems with an electron quadrupling phase based on ultrasound-velocity measurements. We show that the experimental results are consistent with BTRS superconductivity at x ~ 0.8, fulfilling the necessary condition for the formation of electron quadrupling in Ba1−xKxFe2As2. We provide the theoretical basis and the experimental strategy to study the order parameter symmetry of emerging quadrupling condensates in superconductors.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number107
Journalnpj quantum materials
Volume10
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2025
Peer-reviewedYes