Direction and symmetry transition of the vector order parameter in topological superconductors Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3)

Topological superconductors have attracted wide-spreading interests for the bright application perspectives to quantum computing. Cu(0.3)Bi(2)Se(3) is a rare bulk topological superconductor with an odd-parity wave function, but the details of the vector order parameter d and its pinning mechanism are still unclear. Here, we succeed in growing Cu(x)Bi(2)Se(3) single crystals with unprecedented high doping levels. For samples with x = 0.28, 0.36 and 0.37 with similar carrier density as evidenced by the Knight shift, the in-plane upper critical field H(c2) shows a two-fold symmetry. However, the angle at which the H(c2) becomes minimal is different by 90° among them, which indicates that the d-vector direction is different for each crystal likely due to a different local environment. The carrier density for x = 0.46 and 0.54 increases substantially compared to x ≤ 0.37. Surprisingly, the in-plane H(c2) anisotropy disappears, indicating that the gap symmetry undergoes a transition from nematic to isotropic (possibly chiral) as carrier increases.