Uniaxial-strain control of nematic superconductivity in SrxBi2Se3

Abstract

Nematic states are characterized by rotational symmetry breaking without translational ordering. Recently, nematic superconductivity, in which the superconducting gap spontaneously lifts the rotational symmetry of the lattice, has been discovered. In nematic superconductivity, multiple superconducting domains with different nematic orientations can exist, and these domains can be controlled by a conjugate external stimulus. Domain engineering is quite common in magnets but has not been achieved in superconductors. Here, we report control of the nematic superconductivity and their domains of SrxBi2Se3, through externally-applied uniaxial stress. The suppression of subdomains indicates that it is the Δ4y state that is most favoured under compression along the basal Bi-Bi bonds. This fact allows us to determine the coupling parameter between the nematicity and lattice distortion. These results provide an inevitable step towards microscopic understanding and future utilization of the unique topological nematic superconductivity.