Microwave fluctuational conductivity in YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$

Abstract

We present measurements of the microwave complex conductivity at 23.9 and 48.2 GHz in YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$ films, in the fluctuational region above $T_{c}$. With increasing temperature, the fluctuational excess conductivity drops much faster than the well-known calculations within the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau theory [H. Schmidt {\em Z. Phys.} {\bf 216}, 336]. Approaching the transition temperature, slowing down of the fluctuations is observed. We discuss the results in terms of a modified gaussian theory for finite-frequency fluctuational conductivity, where renormalization is introduced in order to account for the $T\to T_{c}$ regime, and a spectral cutoff is inserted in order to discard high-momentum modes. The data are in excellent agreement with the modified theory, when formulated for three-dimensional, anisotropic superconductors, in the whole experimentally accessible temperature range, and for both frequencies.