Superconductivity in Sr2RuO4-Sr3Ru2O7 eutectic crystals

Superconducting behavior has been observed in the Sr2RuO4-Sr3Ru2O7 eutectic system as grown by the flux-feeding floating-zone technique. A supercurrent flows across a single interface between Sr2RuO4 and Sr3Ru2O7 areas at distances that are far beyond those expected in a conventional proximity effect. The current-voltage characteristics within the Sr3Ru2O7 macrodomain, as extracted from the eutectic, exhibit signatures of superconductivity in the bilayered Sr3Ru2O7 region. Detailed microstructural, morphological and compositional analyses address issues on the concentration and the size of Sr2RuO4 inclusions within the Sr3Ru2O7 matrix. We speculate on the possibility of inhomogeneous superconductivity in the eutectic Sr3Ru2O7 and exotic pairing induced by the Sr2RuO4 inclusions. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2008.