Direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4

M. D. Upward; L. P. Kouwenhoven; A. F. Morpurgo; N. Kikugawa; Z. Q. Mao; Y. Maeno

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.65.220512

Direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr₂RuO₄

M. D. Upward, L. P. Kouwenhoven, A. F. Morpurgo, N. Kikugawa, Z. Q. Mao, Y. Maeno

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Abstract

We report the direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr₂RuO₄, by means of tunnelling spectroscopy. The tunneling conductance parallel to the c axis was measured using a scanning tunneling microscope operating in a dilution refrigerator. Our results show a suppression in the density of states of Sr₂RuO₄ which disappears at temperatures higher than T_c or in the presence of a magnetic field larger than the critical field. This demonstrates that superconductivity persists up to the crystal surface and allows us to infer a lower limit of 8.0 for 2Δ_max/kT_c in the bulk. We attribute this large value to a strong in-plane anisotropy of the gap.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	220512
Pages (from-to)	2205121-2205124
Number of pages	4
Journal	Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume	65
Issue number	22
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.65.220512
State	Published - Jun 1 2002

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics

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10.1103/PhysRevB.65.220512

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title = "Direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4",

abstract = "We report the direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4, by means of tunnelling spectroscopy. The tunneling conductance parallel to the c axis was measured using a scanning tunneling microscope operating in a dilution refrigerator. Our results show a suppression in the density of states of Sr2RuO4 which disappears at temperatures higher than Tc or in the presence of a magnetic field larger than the critical field. This demonstrates that superconductivity persists up to the crystal surface and allows us to infer a lower limit of 8.0 for 2Δmax/kTc in the bulk. We attribute this large value to a strong in-plane anisotropy of the gap.",

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AU - Upward, M. D.

AU - Kouwenhoven, L. P.

AU - Morpurgo, A. F.

AU - Kikugawa, N.

AU - Mao, Z. Q.

AU - Maeno, Y.

PY - 2002/6/1

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N2 - We report the direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4, by means of tunnelling spectroscopy. The tunneling conductance parallel to the c axis was measured using a scanning tunneling microscope operating in a dilution refrigerator. Our results show a suppression in the density of states of Sr2RuO4 which disappears at temperatures higher than Tc or in the presence of a magnetic field larger than the critical field. This demonstrates that superconductivity persists up to the crystal surface and allows us to infer a lower limit of 8.0 for 2Δmax/kTc in the bulk. We attribute this large value to a strong in-plane anisotropy of the gap.

AB - We report the direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4, by means of tunnelling spectroscopy. The tunneling conductance parallel to the c axis was measured using a scanning tunneling microscope operating in a dilution refrigerator. Our results show a suppression in the density of states of Sr2RuO4 which disappears at temperatures higher than Tc or in the presence of a magnetic field larger than the critical field. This demonstrates that superconductivity persists up to the crystal surface and allows us to infer a lower limit of 8.0 for 2Δmax/kTc in the bulk. We attribute this large value to a strong in-plane anisotropy of the gap.

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Direct observation of the superconducting gap of Sr₂RuO₄

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