Controlled creation of structural defects in the heavy fermion superconductor UPt3 and its influence on the superconducting properties

The superconducting properties of the heavy fermion UPt3 have been changed by irradiation with high energy electrons which creates point defects in a reproducible and controled way. Measurements of the residual resistivity, c ritical temperature, upper critical field and thermal conductivity have bee n realized on these irradiated samples. The strong suppresion of supercondu ctivity with increasing defect concentration is in agreement with the theor y of unconventional superconductivity. However, our thermal conductivity da ta contradicts the simple predictions derived from the most popular models (E-1g and E-2u) of the superconducting order parameter in UPt3.