Probing pairing symmetry of Sm_{1.85}Ce_{0.15}CuO_4 via highly-sensitive voltage measurements: Evidence for strong impurity scattering

Using a highly-sensitive home-made mutual-inductance technique, temperature profiles of the magnetic penetration depth $\lambda (T)$ in the optimally-doped $Sm_{1.85}Ce_{0.15}CuO_4$ thin films have been extracted. The low-temperature behavior of $\lambda (T)$ is found to be best-fitted by linear $\Delta \lambda (T)/\lambda (0)= \ln(2)k_BT/\Delta_0$ and quadratic $\Delta \lambda (T)/\lambda (0)=\Gamma ^{-1/2}\Delta_0^{-3/2}T^2$ laws above and below $T=0.22T_C$, respectively, which clearly indicates the presence of d-wave pairing mechanism dominated by strong paramagnetic scattering at the lowest temperatures. The best fits produce $\Delta_0/k_BT_C=2.07$ and $\Gamma /T_C=0.25(T_C/\Delta_0)^3$ for the estimates of the nodal gap parameter and impurity scattering rate

Magnetic And Superconducting Properties Of Ru Sr2 Gd1.5 Ce0.5 Cu2 O10-δ Samples: Dependence On The Oxygen Content And Aging Effects

The magnetic and superconducting properties of Ru Sr2 Gd1.5 Ce0.5 Cu2 O10-δ polycrystalline samples with different oxygen-doping levels are presented. A strong suppression of the superconducting temperature (Tc), as well as a reduction in the superconducting fraction, occurs as the oxygen content is reduced by annealing the samples in oxygen-deprived atmospheres. Drastic changes in the electrical resistivity are observed above Tc, possibly associated with oxygen removal, mainly from grain boundaries. However, the magnetic ordering is relatively less affected by the changes in oxygen content of the samples. The spin-glass transition is enhanced and shifted to higher temperatures with the reduction in oxygen content. This could be correlated with an increase in the spin disorder and frustration for the oxygen-depleted samples. Also, the same oxygen-vacancy-induced disorder could explain the reduction in the fraction of the sample showing antiferromagnetic order. We also report significant changes in the measured properties of the samples as a function of time. © 2005 The American Physical Society.7113Felner, I., Asaf, U., Levi, Y., Millo, O., (1997) Phys. Rev. B, 55, p. 3374. , PRBMDO 0163-1829 10.1103/PhysRevB.55.R3374Bernhard, C., Tallon, J.L., Niedermayer, Ch., Blasius, Th., Golnik, A., Brücher, E., Kremer, R.K., Ansaldo, E.J., (1999) Phys. Rev. B, 59, p. 14099. , PRBMDO. 0163-1829. 10.1103/PhysRevB.59.14099Awana, V.P.S., Karppinen, M., Yamauchi, H., (2003) Studies of High Tc Superconductors, 46, p. 77. , edited by A. V. Narlikar (Nova Science Publishers, New YorkMatvejeff, M., Awana, V.P.S., Jang, L.-Y., Liu, R.S., Yamauchi, H., Karppinen, M., (2003) Physica C, 392-396, p. 87. , PHYCE6 0921-4534Cardoso, C.A., Araujo-Moreira, F.M., Awana, V.P.S., Kishan, H., Takayama-Muromachi, E., De Lima, O.F., (2004) Physica C, 405, p. 212. , PHYCE6 0921-4534Cardoso, C.A., Araujo-Moreira, F.M., Awana, V.P.S., Takayama-Muromachi, E., De Lima, O.F., Yamauchi, H., Karppinen, M., (2003) Phys. Rev. B, 67, p. 020407. , PRBMDO 0163-1829 10.1103/PhysRevB.67.020407Shi, L., Li, G., Fan, X.J., Feng, S.J., Li, X.-G., (2003) Physica C, 399, p. 69. , PHYCE6 0921-4534Felner, I., Asaf, U., Ritter, F., Klamut, P.W., Dabrowski, B., (2001) Physica C, 364-365, p. 368. , PHYCE6 0921-4534Felner, I., Asaf, U., Galstyan, E., (2002) Phys. Rev. B, 66, p. 024503. , PRBMDO 0163-1829 10.1103/PhysRevB.66.024503Felner, I., Asaf, U., Levi, Y., Millo, O., (2000) Physica C, 334, p. 141. , PHYCE6 0921-4534 10.1016/S0921-4534(00)00250-1Awana, V.P.S., Ansari, M.A., Gupta, A., Saxena, R.B., Kishan, H., Buddhikot, D., Malik, S.K., (2004) Phys. Rev. B, 70, p. 104520. , PRBMDO 0163-1829 10.1103/PhysRevB.70.104520Yoshizawa, H., Mitsuda, S., Aruga, H., Ito, A., (1987) Phys. Rev. Lett., 59, p. 2364. , PRLTAO 0031-9007 10.1103/PhysRevLett.59.2364Binder, K., Young, A.P., (1986) Rev. Mod. Phys., 58, p. 801. , RMPHAT 0034-6861 10.1103/RevModPhys.58.801Mydosh, J.A., (1993) Spin Glasses An Experimental Introduction, , Taylor & Francis, LondonFelner, I., Galstyan, E., Herber, R.H., Nowik, I., (2004) Phys. Rev. B, 70, p. 094504. , PRBMDO 0163-1829 10.1103/PhysRevB.70.094504Shengelaya, A., Khasanov, R., Eschenko, D.G., Felner, I., Asaf, U., Savić, I.M., Keller, H., Müller, K.A., (2004) Phys. Rev. B, 69, p. 024517. , PRBMDO. 0163-1829. 10.1103/PhysRevB.69.024517Xue, Y.Y., Cao, D.H., Lorenz, B., Chu, C.W., (2002) Phys. Rev. B, 65, p. 020511. , PRBMDO 0163-1829 10.1103/PhysRevB.65.02051

Elastic properties of polycrystalline YBa_2Cu_3O_7: Evidence for granularity induced martensitic behavior

In this work we present the study of the elastic properties of polycrystalline samples of superconducting YBa_2Cu_3O_7 prepared by the sol-gel method. The quality of all samples was checked by x-ray diffraction and scanning electronic microscopy while their physical properties were verified by transport and magnetic measurements. The elastic study was performed using the standard pulse-echo technique through measuring the phase velocity and the attenuation of ultrasonic waves (in the range of a few MHz) as a function of temperature. We have focused this study on the low temperatures interval (T < 200K). The obtained results show a strong hysteretic behavior in the ultrasonic attenuation (in addition to usually observed hysteretic behavior for the velocity) which strongly supports the existence of a martensitic-like phase above the superconducting critical temperature T_C. We argue that this peculiar behavior can be attributed to the granularity present in the samples.Comment: Physica C (in press