To clarify the order parameter symmetry of cuprates, the magnetic penetration depth λ was measured along the crystallographic directions a, b, and c in single crystals of YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 via muon spin rotation. This method is direct, bulk sensitive, and unambiguous. The temperature dependences of λ −2 a and λ −2 b exhibit an inflection point at low temperatures as is typical for two-gap superconductivity (TGS) with s + d-wave character in the planes. Perpendicular to the planes a pure s-wave gap is observed thereby highlighting the important role of c-axis effects. We conclude that these are generic and universal features in the bulk of cuprates. Recently, new muon spin rotation (μSR) investigations of single crystal La 1.83 Sr 0.17 CuO 4 detected an inflection point in the temperature dependence of the inverse-squared in-plane magnetic penetration depth λ −2 ab , which is a direct consequence of two superconducting gaps with largely different zero temperature gap values [14]. Since it is unclear whether these observations are a material specific property or generic and intrinsic to HTS, the previous μSR studies were extended to single crystal YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 and were performed by applying a magnetic field along the crystallographic directions a, b, and c. Thereby we obtain the three principle components of the second moments of the local magnetic field distribution P (B) in the mixed state, which are related to the superfluid density, and reflect directly the corresponding penetration depths λ a , λ b , and λ c . While λ −2 a and λ −2 b vary almost linearly with temperature for 20 < T < 50 K, as is expected for a d-wave order parameter, the c-axis response (λ −2 c ) saturates below 30 K, as expected for a s-wave order parameter. In addition, λ −2 a and
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