Experimental investigation of the pairing state of high-temperature superconductors

To address the issue of the pairing state in high-temperature superconductors, four different experimental investigations have been carried out on a single high-quality, untwinned single crystal of ${\mathrm{LuBa}}_2$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_3$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{-}\mathrm{\delta }}$. These include measurements of the specific heat in magnetic fields, both near the transition temperature and at low temperatures, investigations of the angular dependence of the transverse magnetic moment in the nonlinear Meissner regime, and the measurement of microwave properties leading to the temperature dependences of the penetration depth and the surface resistance at low temperatures. Some of the results raise questions relating to the existence of a pairing state with line nodes in the energy gap, whereas others appear to be consistent with this picture. The results taken together suggest that studies of the pairing state be examined critically for possible alternative explanations. © 1996 The American Physical Society.