Superconducting gap and order parameter in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x

Abstract
Using angle-resolved photoemission, we observed a nonzero superconducting gap and the presence of a superconducting condensate along all three major symmetry directions. We find that the gap is highly anisotropic, with a gap as small as 1–2 meV along Γ-Y, 4–8 meV along Γ-X, and 14–20 meV along Γ-M. We argue that our data imply either an anisotropic s-wave order parameter or an unconventional, two-component order parameter, and that measuring the size of the gap does not by itself distinguish between the two possibilities. We propose a phenomenological unconventional order parameter, and note the quantitative agreement between theory and experiment.