Intra- versus interlayer pairing in copper oxide superconductors: Response to a magnetic field

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.48.4080· OSTI ID:6276716

Liu, S H ^[1]; Klemm, R A ^[2]

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1. Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6032 (United States)
2. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

We have investigated the response of layered superconductors to an external magnetic field using the semiclassical phase approximation. The linearized gap equations have been derived, and solved numerically to calculate the upper critical field [ital H][sub [ital c]2]([ital T]) for layered superconductors with one or two layers per unit cell for both intralayer [ital s]-wave and interlayer BCS-like pairing mechanisms. In the weak-hopping limit the equations reduce to the Lawrence-Doniach form, and for general hopping the appropriate gap equations are derived and numerically analyzed. One encounters the familiar dimensional crossover in the [ital H][sub [ital c]2]([ital T]) curve for weak hopping. A different type of dimensional crossover can occur in the two-layer case with unequal intralayer or interlayer coupling strengths, such that at the crossover temperature, the magnetic field suppresses the superconductivity in the weakly coupled layers while leaving the strongly coupled layers superconducting. The effect is enhanced by unequal hopping strengths. The flux lattice consists of alternating superconducting and normal layers.

• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400; W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6276716
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States) Vol. 48:6; ISSN PRBMDO; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665411* -- Basic Superconductivity Studies-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
COPPER COMPOUNDS
CRITICAL FIELD
CUPRATES
FUNCTIONS
GREEN FUNCTION
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SEMICLASSICAL APPROXIMATION
SUPERCONDUCTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS