Comparison of s- and d-wave gap symmetry in nonequilibrium superconductivity

Recent application of ultrafast pump/probe optical techniques to superconductors has renewed interest in nonequilibrium superconductivity and the predictions that would be available for novel superconductors, such as the high-Tc cuprates. We have reexamined two of the classical models which have been used in the past to interpret nonequilibrium experiments with some success: the mu* model of Owen and Scalapino and the T* model of Parker. Predictions depend on pairing symmetry. For instance, the gap suppression due to excess quasiparticle density n in the mu* model, varies as n^{3/2} in d-wave as opposed to n for s-wave. Finally, we consider these models in the context of S-I-N tunneling and optical excitation experiments. While we confirm that recent pump/probe experiments in YBCO, as presently interpreted, are in conflict with d-wave pairing, we refute the further claim that they agree with s-wave.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure

Ultrafast quasiparticle relaxation dynamics in normal metals and heavy fermion materials

We present a detailed theoretical study of the ultrafast quasiparticle relaxation dynamics observed in normal metals and heavy fermion materials with femtosecond time-resolved optical pump-probe spectroscopy. For normal metals, a nonthermal electron distribution gives rise to a temperature (T) independent electron-phonon relaxation time at low temperatures, in contrast to the T^{-3}-divergent behavior predicted by the two-temperature model. For heavy fermion compounds, we find that the blocking of electron-phonon scattering for heavy electrons within the density-of-states peak near the Fermi energy is crucial to explain the rapid increase of the electron-phonon relaxation time below the Kondo temperature. We propose the hypothesis that the slower Fermi velocity compared to the sound velocity provides a natural blocking mechanism due to energy and momentum conservation laws.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

Complex conductivity of Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7\rm Y_{1-x}Pr_xBa_2Cu_3O_7 thin films measured by coherent terahertz spectroscopy

The complex transmission of Y_{1-x}Pr_xBa_2Cu_3O_7 single crystal thin films has been measured in the range 0.2-1.0 THz using time domain spectroscopy. The complex conductivity is calculated without using a Kramers-Kronig analysis. All of the superconducting samples show a peak in $\sigma_1(T)$ below $T_c$. The underdoped samples show a deviation from $1/(\alpha+\beta T)$ behavior above $T_c$ that may be linked with the onset of a spin gap.Comment: 2 pages, REVTEX 3.0, figures upon request. To appear in Physica C, and as a poster @ the M^2S-HTSC conference, Grenoble, 5 July 199