Possible Sign-Reversing s-Wave Superconductivity in Co-Doped BaFe2As2 Proved by Thermal Transport Measurements

Abstract

Thermal transport measurements have been performed on single-crystalline Co-doped BaFe2As2 down to 0.1 K and under magnetic fields up to 7 T. Significant peak anomalies are observed in both thermal conductivity and thermal Hall conductivity below Tc as an indication of the enhancement of the quasiparticle mean-free path. Moreover, we find a sizable residual T-linear term in thermal conductivity, possibly due to a finite quasiparticle density of states in the superconducting gap induced by impurity pair breaking. Our findings support a pairing symmetry compatible with the theoretically predicted sign-reversing s-wave state.

4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Journal of the Physical Society of Japan