Field-induced electronic correlations and superconductivity in UTe$_2$ beyond 40~T

Overview & Synopsis

Several superconducting phases have been discovered close to a metamagnetic transition in the heavy-fermion compound UTe$_2$, unveiling a close relation between its superconducting and magnetic properties. Although suspected to be of magnetic nature, the mechanisms stabilizing these superconducting phases remain mysterious. Here, we present electrical-resistivity measurements on UTe$_2$, with a current $\mathbf{I}\parallel\mathbf{a}$ and under pulsed magnetic fields up to 60~T rotating in the ($\mathbf{b}$,$\mathbf{c}$) plane. The Fermi-liquid coefficient $A$ of the electrical resistivity reaches its maximal values at the metamagnetic transition in fields tilted by $30-40~^\circ$ from $\mathbf{b}$ to $\mathbf{c}$, and it becomes asymmetric with higher values above the metamagnetic field than below. The enhancement of $A$ is interpreted as resulting from enhanced magnetic fluctuations, in a regime which coincides with a domain of stabilization of superconductivity beyond $40$~T. These results show that the magnetic fluctuations probed here probably play a key role in stabilizing high-field superconductivity in UTe$_2$ and may provide further insight into the superconducting mechanisms.