Dimensionality of the reinforced superconductivity in UTe2

L. Zhang (), C. Guo (), D. Graf, C. Putzke, M. M. Bordelon, E. D. Bauer, S. M. Thomas, F. Ronning, P. F. S. Rosa and P. J. W. Moll ()
Additional contact information
L. Zhang: Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
C. Guo: Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
D. Graf: National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
C. Putzke: Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
M. M. Bordelon: Los Alamos National Laboratory
E. D. Bauer: Los Alamos National Laboratory
S. M. Thomas: Los Alamos National Laboratory
F. Ronning: Los Alamos National Laboratory
P. F. S. Rosa: Los Alamos National Laboratory
P. J. W. Moll: Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Superconductivity in the heavy-fermion metal UTe2 survives under high magnetic fields, presenting both an intriguing puzzle and an experimental challenge. The non-perturbative influence of the magnetic field complicates the determination of superconducting order parameters in the high-field phases. Here, we report electronic transport anisotropy measurements in precisely aligned microbars in magnetic fields to 45 T. Our results reveal a highly directional vortex pinning force in the field-reinforced phase. The critical current is significantly suppressed for currents only along the c-direction, where the flux-flow voltage vanishes with slight angular misalignments—hallmarks of vortex lock-in transitions typically seen in quasi-2D superconductors like cuprates and pnictides. This marks the observation of a transition into a vortex lock-in state at the boundary between two distinct superconducting states. These findings challenge assumptions of nearly isotropic charge transport in UTe2 and point to enhanced two-dimensionality in the high-field state, consistent with a change in the order parameter.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66288-5

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