The superconductivity of Sr₂RuO₄ and the physics of spin-triplet pair

This review presents a summary and evaluation of the experimental properties of unconventional superconductivity in Sr2RuO4 as they were known in the spring of 2002. At the same time, the paper is intended to be useful as an introduction to the physics of spin-triplet superconductivity. First, the authors show how the normal-state properties of Sr2RuO4 are quantitatively described in terms of a quasi-two-dimensional Fermi liquid. Then they summarize its phenomenological superconducting parameters in the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau model, and discuss the existing evidence for spin-triplet pairing. After a brief introduction to the vector order parameter, they examine the most likely symmetry of the triplet state. The structure of the superconducting energy gap is discussed, as is the effect of symmetry-breaking magnetic fields on the phase diagram. The article concludes with a discussion of some outstanding issues and desirable future work. Appendixes on additional details of the normal state, difficulty in observing the bulk Fermi surface by angle-resolved photoemission, and the enhancement of superconducting transition temperature in a two-phase Sr2RuO4-Ru system are included.