Beyond Spin-Triplet: Nodal Topological Superconductivity in a Noncentrosymmetric Semimetal

The discovery of superconductivity in the rare earth-based half-Heusler semimetals RTBi (R=rare earth, T=Pt, Pd) has opened a new avenue for investigation of topological phases of matter. With charge carrier densities several orders of magnitude lower than conventional metals, these materials pose a challenge for investigating the nature of the superconducting state, which itself may have inherent topological properties. Here, we report experimental evidence for an unconventional superconducting state in YPtBi, which presents a striking linear temperature dependence of the London penetration depth consistent with line nodes in the superconducting order parameter $Delta$. With strong antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling giving rise to spin-split Fermi surfaces -- as verified by angle-dependent Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy -- we propose a $mathbf{kcdot p}$ model of $j=3/2$ fermions that naturally leads to exotic nodal Cooper pairing states with high total angular momentum. With the simplest gap model involving a dominant $J=3$ septet pairing between the $j=3/2$ fermions of the $p$-like $Gamma_8$ band, the topological pairing states in this half-Heusler compound present a truly novel form of superconductivity that has strong potential for leading the development of a new series of topological superconductors.