Probing the intermediate state of type-I superconductor SnAs using muon spin spectroscopy
Phys. Rev. B 114, 094515 – Published 24 August, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/z1sz-ly3y
Abstract
Superconductivity with nontrivial band topology provides a platform for exploring topological superconductivity and its quantum applications. A detailed microscopic understanding of the superconducting ground state in such materials is crucial. Here, we report the results of a muon spin rotation/relaxation study of the topologically nontrivial superconductor SnAs, which exhibits superconductivity below 3.74(1) . Zero-field data reveal that this system is a time-reversal invariant superconductor, and systematic transverse-field measurements unveil the type-I nature of the SnAs superconductor. We have established the superconducting phase diagram to understand the intermediate state of type-I superconductors. Moreover, ab initio band structure and phonon calculations are performed, which correlate with the experimental characterization.