Off-site-repulsion induced Triplet Superconductivity: a possibility of chiral p$_{x+y}$ pairing in Sr$_2$RuO$_4$

Abstract

In order to probe the effect of charge fluctuations on triplet pairing, we study the pairing symmetry in the one-band Hubbard model having the off-site Coulomb repulsion ($V$) on top of the on-site repulsion as a model for the $γ$ band of Sr$_2$RuO$_4$, a strong candidate for triplet pairing superconductor. The result, obtained with the dynamical cluster approximation combined with the quantum Monte-Carlo method, and confirmed from the fluctuation exchange approximation, shows that while $d_{x^2-y^2}$-pairing dominates over $p$ in the absence of $V$, introduction of $V$ makes $p_{x+y}$ and $d_{xy}$ dominant. The gap function for the chiral $p_{x+y}$+i$p_{x-y}$ has nodes that are consistent with the recent measurement of specific heat in rotated magnetic fields in the ruthenate. This suggests that the off-site repulsion may play an essential role in triplet superconductivity in this material.

4 pages, 4 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Lett