Evidence for a Nodeless Gap from the Superfluid Density of Optimally Doped Pr_{1.855}Ce_{0..pdf

a r X i v : c o n d - m a t / 0 1 0 7 1 2 2 v 3 [ c o n d - m a t .s u p r - c o n ] 7 M a y 2 0 0 2 Evidence for a Nodeless Gap from the Superfluid Density of Optimally Doped Pr1.855Ce0.145CuO4?y Films John A. Skinta and Thomas R. Lemberger Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1106 T. Greibe and M. Naito NTT Basic Research Laboratories, 3-1 Morinosato Wakamiya, Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa 243, Japan (February 1, 2008) We present measurements of the ab-plane magnetic penetration depth, λ(T ), in five optimally doped Pr1.855Ce0.145CuO4?y films for 1.6 K ≤ T ≤ Tc ～ 24 K. Low resistivities, high superfluid densities ns(T ) ∝ λ ?2(T ), high Tc’s, and small transition widths are reproducible and indicative of excellent film quality. For all five films, λ?2(T )/λ?2(0) at low T is well fitted by an exponential temperature dependence with a gap, ?min, of 0.85 kBTc. This behavior is consistent with a nodeless gap and is incompatible with d -wave superconductivity. PACS numbers: 74.25.Fy, 74.76.Bz, 74.72.Jt It is widely accepted that pairing symmetry in the hole-doped cuprates is predominantly dx2?y2 , at least near optimal doping where most phase-sensitive measurements have been made [1,2]. Essentially all other experimental results agree with this view. The developing situation in the electron-doped cuprates is not so clear. While recent phase-sensitive measurements on optimally doped Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4?y (NCCO) and Pr1.85Ce0.15CuO4?y (PCCO) films are consistent with a dx2?y2 energy gap [3], there is substantial evidence for a nodeless gap. The penetration depth, λ(T ), measured by Alff et al. [4] via field modulation of Josephson junctions fabricated in the ab-plane of optimally doped PCCO films is exponentially flat at low T , suggesting a gapped superconducting state. The zero-bias peak seen in tunnelling data from hole-doped cuprates – associated with Andreev bound states of a d - wave order parameter – is absent from tunnel junctions in NCCO