Ubiquitous spin freezing in the superconducting state of UTe₂

In most superconductors electrons form Cooper pairs in a spin-singlet state mediated by either phonons or by long-range interactions such as spin fluctuations. The superconductor UTe₂ is a rare material wherein electrons are believed to form pairs in a unique spin-triplet state with potential topological properties. While spin-triplet pairing may be mediated by ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic fluctuations, experimentally, the magnetic properties of UTe₂ are unclear. By way of muon spin rotation/relaxation (µSR) measurements on independently grown UTe₂ single crystals we demonstrate the existence of magnetic clusters that gradually freeze into a disordered spin frozen state at low temperatures. Our findings suggest that inhomogeneous freezing of magnetic clusters is linked to the ubiquitous residual linear term in the temperature dependence of the specific heat (C) and the low-temperature upturn in C/T versus T. The omnipresent magnetic inhomogeneity has potential implications for experiments aimed at establishing the intrinsic low-temperature properties of UTe₂.

Shyam Sundar, Nasrin Azari, Mariah R. Goeks, Shayan Gheidi, Mae Abedi, Michael Yakovlev, Sarah R. Dunsiger, John M. Wilkinson, Stephen J. Blundell, Tristin E. Metz, Ian M. Hayes, Shanta R. Saha, Sangyun Lee, Andrew J. Woods, Roman Movshovich, Sean M. Thomas, Nicholas P. Butch, Priscila F. S. Rosa, Johnpierre Paglione, Jeff E. Sonier