The in-plane thermal conductivity $\kappa$ of overdoped FeAs-based superconductor BaFe$_{ 1.73}$Co$_{ 0.27}$As$_2$ ($T_c$ = 8.1 K) single crystal was measured down to 80 mK. In zero field, the residual linear term $\kappa_0/T$ is negligible, suggesting a nodeless superconducting gap in the $ab$-plane. In magnetic field, $\kappa_0/T$ increases rapidly, very different from that of conventional s-wave superconductors. This anomalous $\kappa_0/T(H)$ may reveal an exotic superconducting gap structure in overdoped BaFe$_{ 1.73}$Co$_{ 0.27}$As$_2$: the vanishing hole ($\beta$) pocket has a much larger gap than the electron ($\gamma$ and $\delta$) pockets which contain most of the carriers. Such an exotic gap structure is an evidence for superconducting state induced by interband interactions, in which the band with the { \it smaller} density of states has a { \it larger} gap.
Categories: cond-mat.supr-con cond-mat.str-el