Insulator-Metal Transition and Topological Superconductivity in UTe2 from a First-Principles Calculation

We theoretically study superconductivity in UTe2, which is a recently discovered strong candidate for an odd-parity spin-triplet superconductor. Theoretical studies for this compound faced difficulty because first-principles calculations predict an insulating electronic state, incompatible with superconducting instability. To overcome this problem, we take into account electron correlation effects by a GGA + U method and show the insulator-metal transition by Coulomb interaction. Using Fermi surfaces obtained as a function of U, we clarify topological properties of possible superconducting states. Fermi surface formulas for the three-dimensional winding number and three two-dimensional Z(2) numbers indicate topological superconductivity at an intermediate U for all the odd-parity pairing symmetry in the /mmm space group. Symmetry and topology of superconducting gap nodes arc analyzed and the gap structure of UTe2 is predicted. Topologically protected low-energy excitations arc highlighted, and experiments by bulk and surface probes are proposed to link Fermi surfaces and pairing symmetry. Based on the results, we also discuss multiple superconducting phases under magnetic fields, which were implied by recent experiments.