Low-temperature magnetothermal transport investigation of a Ni-based superconductor BaNi2As2: evidence for fully gapped superconductivity

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Apr 10;102(14):147004. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.147004. Epub 2009 Apr 10.

Abstract

We have performed low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements of the Ni-based superconductor BaNi2As2 (T{c}=0.7 K) in a magnetic field. In a zero field, thermal conductivity shows T-linear behavior in the normal state and exhibits a BCS-like exponential decrease below T{c}. The field dependence of the residual thermal conductivity extrapolated to zero temperature is indicative of a fully gapped superconductor. This conclusion is supported by the analysis of the specific heat data, which are well fit by the BCS temperature dependence from T{c} down to the lowest temperature of 0.1 K.