Multiple gap symmetries for the order parameter of cuprate superconductors from penetration depth measurements

Phys Rev Lett. 2007 Dec 7;99(23):237601. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.99.237601. Epub 2007 Dec 6.

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the London penetration depth lambda was measured for an untwinned single crystal of YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-delta} along the three principal crystallographic directions (a, b, and c). Both in-plane components (lambda_{a};{-2} and lambda_{b};{-2}) show an inflection point in their temperature dependence which is absent in the component along the c direction (lambda_{c};{-2}). The data provide convincing evidence that the in-plane superconducting order parameter is a mixture of (s+d)-wave symmetry whereas it is mainly s wave along the c direction. In conjunction with previous results it is concluded that coupled s+d-order parameters are universal and intrinsic to cuprate superconductors.