The characteristics of the superconducting and magnetic phases in the polycrystalline samples of ruthenocuprates of nominal compositions RuSr2GdCu2O8, Ru0.98Sr2GdCu2O8 and Ru0.5Sr2GdCu2.5O8-d

TL;DR

This study investigates the superconducting and magnetic properties of ruthenocuprate samples with varying compositions, revealing phase inhomogeneity, anisotropy effects, and magnetic fluctuations that influence their superconducting behavior.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how Ru/Cu ratio variations and magnetic interactions affect the superconducting phases in ruthenocuprates.

Findings

Insignificant Ru/Cu ratio changes stabilize superconductivity.

Phase anisotropy causes softening of the Hc2(T) phase line.

Enhanced superconducting fluctuations observed above Tc.

Abstract

The temperature dependencies of the resistivity for the superconducting ruthenocuprates of nominal compositions RuSr2GdCu2O8, Ru0.98Sr2GdCu2O8 and Ru0.5Sr2GdCu2.5O8-d were examined for the magnetic field dependent characteristics of the superconducting transitions. The effect of the insignificant diminishing of the Ru/Cu ratio in parent RuSr2GdCu2O8 was confirmed as relevant for the stabilisation of the superconducting phase. Noted differences in the compared characteristics are interpreted for possible inhomogeneous nucleation of the superconducting phase in the parent ruthenocuprate. The phase anisotropy in RuSr2GdCu2O8 and Ru0.98Sr2GdCu2O8 , in presence of the compounds Ru magnetism, appears to be a cause of a significant softening of the Hc2(T) phase line. An anomalous lowering of the magneto-resistivity was observed in the approx. 10 K range above the onset of the superconducting transition, which may suggest the presence of enhanced superconducting fluctuations in the samples. The positive magnetic field shift of the temperatures, which limit the magneto-resistivity and the specific heat signatures of the magnetic ordered state of the Ru sub-lattice, suggests probing the influence of the ferromagnetic Ru interactions in an effective metallic-like conduction channel present in the samples. Superconducting characteristics of the Ru0.5Sr2GdCu2.5O8-d reveal a significant contribution of the Gd paramagnetic signal at low temperatures, interpreted for the presence of a significant anisotropy of the superconducting phase. It is concluded that the Ru-Cu substituted phases of ruthenocuprates may present an opportunity to investigate the effectively anisotropic superconducting phase despite its comparatively high Tc in the compounds related to the 123-type cuprate superconductor.