Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Optical properties of cuprate superconductors influenced by a magnetic field

Journal Article · · International Journal of Modern Physics B; (United States)
 [1]
  1. Dortmund Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Physik

This paper reports that reflection measurements on a one-domain single crystal of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} and transmission measurements on single crystals of Bi{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8} show a state of spontaneously broken symmetry below certain transition temperatures T{sub s} somewhat above the respective superconduction temperature T{sub c}. In both materials the sign of the effect can be controlled by an external magnetic field. In transmission measurements on films of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}I{sub 7{minus}{delta}} near T{sub s} a remanent circular dichroism is observed after applying an external magnetic field. Furthermore, the films show a Curie-Weiss type increase of magnetic circular dichroism near T{sub s}. The magnetic field effects are considered as evidence for a state with broken time reversal symmetry below T{sub s}.

OSTI ID:
5277274
Journal Information:
International Journal of Modern Physics B; (United States), Journal Name: International Journal of Modern Physics B; (United States) Vol. 5:10; ISSN 0217-9792; ISSN IJPBE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English