On the energy saved by interlayer interactions in the superconducting state of cuprates

Abstract

A Ginzburg-Landau-like functional is proposed reproducing the main low-energy features of various possible high-Tc superconducting mechanisms involving energy savings due to interlayer interactions. The functional may be used to relate these savings to experimental quantities. Two examples are given, involving the mean-field specific heat jump at Tc and the superconducting fluctuations above Tc. Comparison with existing data suggests, e.g., that the increase of Tc due to the so-called interlayer tunneling (ILT) mechanism of interlayer kinetic-energy savings is negligible in optimally-doped Bi-2212.Comment: 12 pages, no figures. Version history: 21-aug-2003, first version (available on http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308423v1); 15-jan-2004, update to match Europhys. Lett. publication (minor grammar changes, updates in bibliography - e.g., refs. 5 and 26