Superconducting gap symmetry in iron-pnictide superconductors: a thermal conductivity perspective

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:11040093,
            doi = {10.48660/11040093},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/11040093},
            author = {Hill, Robert},
            keywords = {Condensed Matter},
            language = {en},
            title = {Superconducting gap symmetry in iron-pnictide superconductors: a thermal conductivity perspective},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2011},
            month = {apr},
            note = {PIRSA:11040093 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }
          

Abstract

The nature of the pairing mechanism in the recently discoverediron-pnictide family of superconductors remains an outstanding issue. To answer this question, it is instructive to know the symmetry of the superconducting energy gap. Low temperature thermal conductivity measurements provide a robust test of the presence or absence of low energy electronic quasiparticles that in turn can be used to characterise the symmetry of the gap function. In this talk, I will review what has been learnt so far from such measurements across several families of iron-pnictide superconductors, including our own recent results on the stoichiometric material LaFePO.