We show that multiband superconductors with broken time-reversal symmetry can produce spontaneous currents and magnetic fields in response to the local variations of pairing constants. Considering the iron pnictide superconductor ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{K}}_x{\mathrm{Fe}}_2{\mathrm{As}}_2$ as an example we demonstrate that both the point-group symmetric $s+is$ state and the $C_4$-symmetry-breaking $s+id$ states produce, in general, the same magnitudes of spontaneous magnetic fields. In the $s+is$ state these fields are polarized mainly on an $ab$ crystal plane, whereas in the $s+id$ state their $ab$-plane and $c$-axis components are of the same order. The same is true for the random magnetic fields which are produced by the order parameter fluctuations near the critical point of the time-reversal symmetry-breaking phase transition. Our findings can be used as a direct test of the $s+is/s+id$ dichotomy and the additional discrete symmetry-breaking phase transitions with the help of muon spin-relaxation experiments.

• Received 26 May 2018
• Revised 16 August 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.98.104504