ENHANCEMENT OF SUPERCONDUCTIVITY OF SR2RUO4 TO 3 K BY EMBEDDED METALLIC MICRODOMAINS

We have found that the quasi-two-dimensional superconductor Sr2RUO4 Wi th the intrinsic transition temperature T-c = 1.5 K exhibits a remarka ble enhancement in T-c up to 3 K, if lamellar microdomains of rutheniu m metal are embedded. Measurements of the anisotropy in the upper crit ical fields indicate that the 3-K superconductivity is sustained essen tially in the layered structure of Sr2RUO4 We suggest that the enhance d interlayer coherence provided via metallic Ru plays a key role in th e doubling of T-c. [S0031-9007(98)07463-8].