Abstract
The tetragonal c-axis alignment of T <sub>c</sub> =23 K Pr <sub>1.85</sub> Ce <sub>0.15</sub> CuO <sub>3.97</sub> superconducting powder was achieved in a 1 T alignment field with rotating powder/epoxy holder perpendicular to the alignment field. The in-plane penetration depth λ <sub>ab</sub> for this electron-doped superconductor was derived using zero-field-cooled Meissner diamagnetic data with low applied field (B <sub>a</sub> <H <sup>ab</sup> <sub>cl</sub> ) parallel to the c-axis aligned powder. A small Pr paramagnetic contribution was subtracted. The temperature dependence of Δλ <sub>ab</sub> (T) = λ <sub>ab</sub> (T) - λ <sub>ab</sub> (0) [with λ <sub>ab</sub> (0) ∼ 133 nm] up to ∼0.5 T <sub>c</sub> can be fitted well with a non-s-wave or d-wave-like power law Δλ <sub>ab</sub> (T) = AT <sup>2</sup> + CT <sup>4</sup> , where the T <sup>2</sup> law is dominated at low temperature. The present result agrees with recent phase-sensitive experiment, which indicates d-wave nature for these electron-doped 214 cuprates. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.