The transition between real and complex superconducting order parameter phases in UPT₃

Order parameter symmetry is one of the basic characteristics of a superconductor. The heavy fermion compound URt₃ provides a rich system for studying the competition between superconductivity and other forms of electronic order and exhibits two distinct superconducting phases that are characterized by different symmetries. We fabricated a series of Josephson tunnel junctions on the as-grown surfaces of UPt₃ single crystals spanning the a-b plane. By measuring their critical current, we mapped out the magnitude of the superconducting order parameter as a function of the momentum-space direction and temperature. In the high-temperature phase, we observed a sharp node in the superconducting gap at 45° with respect to the a axis; an out-of-phase component appeared in the low-temperature phase, creating a complex order parameter.