Unconventional Superconductors: Experimental Investigation of the Order-Parameter Symmetry of Unconventional Superconductors

Gernot Goll (auth.)3-540-28985-2, 978-3-540-28985-2

This book offers a comprehensive summary of experiments that are especially suited to reveal the order-parameter symmetry of unconventional superconductors. It briefly introduces readers to the basic theoretical concepts and terms of unconventional superconductivity, followed by a detailed overview of experimental techniques and results investigating the superconducting energy gap and phase, plus the pairing symmetry. This review includes measurements of specific heat, thermal conductivity, penetration depth and nuclearmagnetic resonance and muon-spin rotation experiments. Further, point-contact and tunnelling spectroscopy and Josephson experiments are addressed. Current understanding is reviewed from the experimental point of view. With an appendix offering five tables with almost 200 references that summarize the present results from ambient pressure heavy-fermion and noncopper-oxide superconductors, the monograph provides a valuable resource for further studies in this field.

Table of contents :
A Brief Overview….Pages 1-9
Basic Theoretical Concepts….Pages 11-18
Probing the Nodal Structure….Pages 19-26
Probing the Parity and Spin State….Pages 27-33
Probing the Energy Gap….Pages 35-54
Probing the Phase….Pages 55-60
Probing the Vortices: Lattice Symmetry and Internal Structure….Pages 61-64
Ce-Based Heavy-Fermion Superconductors….Pages 65-87
U-Based Heavy-Fermion Superconductors….Pages 89-120
Metal-Oxide Superconductors….Pages 121-151