Destruction of chain-superconductivity in YBa_2Cu_4O_8 in a weak magnetic field

Abstract

We report measurements of the temperature dependent components of the magnetic penetration depth λ(T) in single crystal samples of YBa_2Cu_4O_8 using a radio frequency tunnel diode oscillator technique. We observe a downturn in λ(T) at low temperatures for currents flowing along the b and c axes but not along the a axis. The downturn in λ_b is suppressed by a small dc field of ~0.25 T. This and the zero field anisotropy of λ(T) likely result from proximity induced superconducting on the CuO chains, however we also discuss the possibility that a significant part of the anisotropy might originate from the CuO2 planes.

arXiv comment5 pages

References in corpus (16)

• Quantum oscillations and the Fermi surface in an underdoped high-Tc superconductor
• Broken rotational symmetry in the pseudogap phase of a high-Tc superconductor
• Quantum Oscillations in the Underdoped Cuprate YBa2Cu4O8
• Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in YBa_2Cu_4O_8
• The Nonlinear Meissner Effect in Unconventional Superconductors
• Specific heat of single crystal MgB_2: a two-band superconductor with two different anisotropies
• Absence of non-linear Meissner effect in YBa2Cu3O6.95
• Superfluid anisotropy in YBCO: Evidence for pair tunneling superconductivity
• Measurements of the Magnetic Field Dependence of Lambda in YBa_2Cu_3O_6.95: Results as a Function of Temperature and Field Orientation
• Fermi-surface reconstruction and two-carrier model for the Hall effect in YBa2Cu4O8
• Fermi surface pockets in ortho-II YBa${}_2$Cu${}_3$O${}_{6.5}$: the origin of quantum oscillations?
• Evidence for Surface Andreev Bound states in Cuprate Superconductors from Penetration Depth Measurements
• Effect of Proximity Coupling of Chains and Planes on the Penetration Depth Anisotropy in Y_1Ba_2Cu_3O_7
• Disorder and chain superconductivity in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-δ}
• Energy gap and proximity effect in $Mg{B}_2$ superconducting wires
• Effect of CuO chains on the local density of states in the vortex phase of YBa_2Cu_3O_7

Cited by in corpus (6)

• Extremely strong coupling superconductivity in artificial two-dimensional Kondo lattices
• Kinetic-energy driven superconductivity in cuprate superconductors
• Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Transition in Heavy Fermion Superlattices
• Magnetic field induced reduction of the low-temperature superfluid density in cuprate superconductors
• Magnetic field-dependence of the basal-plane superconducting anisotropy in YBa2Cu4O8 from small-angle neutron scattering measurements of the vortex lattice
• Unconventional Coherence Peak in Cuprate Superconductors