On the characteristic lengths of the highTcoxide superconductors

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Abstract
We discuss the fundamental characteristic lengths, namely ζ0 the zero temperature coherence length, ΛL the London penetration depth, and l the carrier mean free path, for the oxide high Tc superconductors in relation to the latest experimental measurements. We examine theoretically why ζ0 is so small and argue that its smallness is independent of the nature of the pairing mechanism of superconductivity. We also compare various measurements from the point of view of Pippard's theory for both the normal and the superconducting states respectively. Several questions are posed by these interpretations of the experimental data.