- Letter
Quantum muon diffusion and the preservation of time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state of type-I rhenium
Phys. Rev. B 105, L020503 – Published 18 January, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.105.L020503
Abstract
Elemental rhenium exhibiting type-II superconductivity has been previously reported to break time-reversal symmetry in the superconducting state. We have investigated an arc-melted sample of rhenium exhibiting type-I superconductivity. Low-temperature zero-field muon-spin relaxation measurements indicate that time-reversal symmetry is preserved in the superconducting state. Muon diffusion is observed, which is due to quantum mechanical tunneling between interstitial sites. The normal state behavior is characterized by the conduction electrons screening the muons and thermal broadening, and is typical for a metal. Energy asymmetries between muon trapping sites and the superconducting energy gap also characterize the superconducting state behavior.
