Intrinsic surface depression of the order parameter under mixed (s+id)-wave pair symmetry and its effect on the critical current of high-Tc SIS Josephson junctions

Abstract

An intrinsic gap depression at the Superconductor-Insulator interface due to the very short value of the coherence length in High-Tc Superconductors [HTSs] is considered, in the framework of a mixed (s+id)-wave pair symmetry for the order parameter ranging from pure s to pure d-wave. This gap depression acts as the main physical agent causing the relevant reduction of IcRn(T) values with respect to BCS expectations in HTS SIS Josephson junctions. Good agreement with various experimental data is obtained with both pure s-wave and pure d-wave symmetries of the order parameter, but with amounts of gap depression depending on the pair symmetry adopted. Regardless of the pair symmetry considered, these results prove the importance of the surface order-parameter depression in the correct interpretation of the Ic(T)Rn(T) data in HTS SIS junctions. In a case of planar YBCO-based junction the use of the de Gennes condition allowed us to tentatively obtain an upper limit for the amount of d-wave present in the order parameter of YBCO.