Eur. Phys. J. B 7, 517-518 (1999)
https://doi.org/10.1007/s100510050641

Fundamental constraints for the mechanism of superconductivity in cuprates

Physikinstitut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland

Received: 26 November 1998
Accepted: 30 November 1998
Published online: 15 February 1999

Abstract

Considerable progress has been made over the last decade in understanding the phenomenological properties of the cuprate high-T_c superconductors and in producing well characterized high quality materials. Nevertheless, the pairing mechanism itself remains controversial. We establish a criterion to test theories for layered superconductors relying on a substantial interlayer contribution. The criterion is based on the ratio of the interlayer contribution to the total superfluid density, which is traced back to the inverse squared effective mass anisotropy, . γ can be measured rather accurately by various experimental techniques. It turns out that models relying on interlayer pairing cannot be considered as serious candidates for the mechanism of superconductivity in cuprate superconductors.