A study of the superconducting gap in RNi2B2C (R = Y, Lu) single crystals by inelastic light scattering
Abstract
Superconductivity-induced changes in the electronic Raman scattering response were observed for the RNi2B2C (R = Y, Lu) system in different scattering geometries. In the superconducting state, 2-like peaks were observed in A1g, B1g, and B2g spectra from single crystals. The peaks in A1g and B2g symmetries are significantly sharper and stronger than the peak in B1g symmetry. The temperature dependence of the frequencies of the 2-like peaks shows typical BCS-type behavior, but the apparent values of the 2 gap are strongly anisotropic for both systems. In addition, for both YNi2B2C and LuNi2B2C systems, there exists reproducible scattering strength below the 2 gap which is roughly linear to the frequency in B1g and B2g symmetries. This discovery of scattering below the gap in non-magnetic borocarbide superconductors, which are thought to be conventional BCS-type superconductors, is a challenge for current understanding of superconductivity in this system.
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