Electromagnetic absorption in an anisotropic layered superconductor

Abstract

We calculate the infrared conductivity tensor of a layered superconductor considering two different order parameter symmetries: strongly anisotropic s wave with line nodes, and pure (${\mathit{d}}_{{\mathit{x}}^{2}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}{\mathit{y}}^{2}}$) d wave. The calculations are performed within the quasiclassical theory of superconductivity and include the effects of nonmagnetic scattering processes. We discuss to what extent measurements of the electromagnetic absorption can be relied upon to distinguish between these two order parameter symmetries. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.