Structural phase transition in substituted La2CuO4 and Pr2CuO4−y

The structural phase transition from orthorhombic (T) phase to tetragonal (T′) phase in substituted La_2−x R _x CuO₄ (R = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd) and T′ to T-phase in Pr_2−x M _x CuO_4−y (M = Sr, Ca) has been studied by X-ray diffraction technique. The T-phase of La₂CuO₄ is transferred to T′ phase abruptly atx=0.8, 0.4, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.4 respectively for substitution of Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd for La in La₂CuO₄ without evidence of the T* phase. The T′ structure of Pr₂CuO₄ (x = 0.0) gets transformed to the T* structure at 30% Ca doping (x=0.6) and then to the T structure at 50% Ca doping (x=1.0), while for Sr-contentx=0.0, 0.4 and 1.0 it shows T′, T* and T structure respectively.     

Superconductivity at 40 K in La1.8Sr0.2CuO4

High-T _c superconductivity withT _c onsets up to 42 K (midpoint: 37 K, zero resistance: 34 K) is observed in X-rays homogeneous single phase La_1.8Sr_0.2CuO₄. The quarternary compounds La_2–x Ba _x CuO₄ and La_2–x Sr _x CuO₄ (0x0.3 for Ba and 0x<1 for Sr, depending on the heating conditions) are mixed-valence oxygen defect oxides, characterized by the presence of Cu²⁺ and Cu³⁺ simultaneously. These oxides have a tetragonal symmetry (space group:I 4/mmm) similar to that of K₂NiF₄. We report the synthesis, characterization, and superconducting properties of various high-temperature superconducting La–Ba–Cu–O and La–Sr–Cu–O compounds. Through the substitution of Sr for Ba in these oxygen defect compounds an increasing superconducting transition temperature onset from 28 K to 35 K for La_1.8Sr_0.1Ba_0.1CuO₄ was observed. A positive initial pressure coefficient ofdTc/dp=290 (mK/kbar) has been found for La_1.8Sr_0.2CuO₄ with a magnetic susceptibility change consistent with the 100% diamagnetic expectation value.     

Microhardness of the compounds La2CuO4 and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 at temperatures from 81 to 292 K

The microhardness of La₂CuO₄ and La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄ crystals is measured in the temperature range 81–292 K, and the influence of various factors on it is investigated. The thermal activation parameters of the plastic deformation process in the vicinity of the indenter impression are estimated. The change of the phase state of the compound La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄ at the temperature T ₀=180 K and the appearance of domain (twin) boundaries formed in the ferroelastic tetraortho transition are not seen in the temperature dependence of the microhardness. The results of the study are compared with previously published results for YBa₂CuO_7−x crystals. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 493–497 (March 1998)     

Study on the in—plane electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power in single crystals of La2—xBaxCuO4

The in-plane electrical resistivity and thermoelectric power have been measured on single crystals of La_2-xBa_xCuO₄ at around x=0.125. The room temperature resistivity and thermopower have their maximum values at x=0.125, indicating that the carrier concentration is the minimum and the carriers are most strongly localized at x=0.125. The observed semiconductor-like behaviour can be well described by the weak-localized quasi-two-dimensional state. The steep rise in electric resistivity of the sample at x=0.125 below 70K is attributed to the formation of static stripe-order of holes and spins, which are pinned by the low-temperature tetragonal (LTT) structure, as discovered in La_1.48Nd_0.4Sr_0.12CuO₄. The temperature dependence of electric resistivity below 70K is still well described by the formula ρ∝ lnT. A definite change in the slope of thermopower is observed at the low-temperature orthorhombic-LTT structural phase transition temperature. The origin of the 1/8 anomaly is discussed in the text.     

Study of the magnetic phase diagram of Y1-x Cax Ba2 Cu3 O6

We have studied the magnetic phase diagram for the bilayer compound Y_1-x Ca_x Ba₂ Cu₃ O₆ in the regime of low doping (hole concentration within a CuO₂ plane, p_sh < 0.1). For p_sh < 0.03, the data demonstrate the freezing of the spin degrees of freedom associated with the doped holes into a spin‐glass‐like state which is superimposed on the preexisting long range order of the Cu²⁺ spins. Only a single spin‐glass like transition at a temperature T_g is observed for samples in the hole concentration range 0.03 < p_sh < 0.1. While the threshold for the occurrence of superconductivity is almost the same (p_sh > 0.06) for the Y_1-x Ca_x Ba₂ Cu₃ O₆ and the La_2-x Sr_x CuO₄ systems, the magnetic correlations that coexist with superconductivity are considerably stronger in the bilayer Y_1-x Ca_x Ba₂ Cu₃ O₆ system as indicated by significantly increased transition temperatures T_g. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Variations of ionic binding energies and the distribution of charge carriers in orthorhombic La2−x Sr x CuO4

The significance of heterovalent, substitutional disorder for the distribution of charge carriers in La_2−x Sr _x CuO₄ has been investigated. Disorder is shown to cause strong variations of binding energies of the ions ranging to some eV for Sr contentsx=0.1. Balancing the energy for a hole transport, Cu³⁺+O²⁻→Cu²⁺+O⁻, and taking binding energy variations into account, the process is realized to become possible without consuming energy for a subset Θ for allx Cu³⁺ in one formula unit of La_2−x Sr _x CuO₄. The functions Θ(x) are presented for hole transports to apex and in-plane oxygens, respectively. The delocalization of charge carriers is interpreted to be caused by valency disorder on metal lattice sites.     

PAC studies of hyperfine interactions of181Ta in YBa2Cu3O7-δ and of140Ce in La2CuO4 and La1.85Sr0.15CuO4

Results of TDPAC studies of hyperfine interaction in high temperature superconducting ceramics are reported. The γ-ray cascade of 329–487 keV in¹⁴⁰Ce excited in the decay of¹⁴⁰La in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ samples (x=0 and 0.15), and 133–482 keV cascade in¹⁸¹Ta excited in the decay of¹⁸¹Hf in YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ samples were used. The procedure of introducing radioactive¹⁸¹Hf into the ceramics is described and indirect evidence for the occupation of Cu sites by the¹⁸¹Hf-¹⁸¹Ta probe is presented.     

The possible origin of incommensurate spin textures in HTSC

An model of La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ explaining the features of incommensurate spin textures without any assumption of stripe formation is proposed. The foundations of this model are the mechanism of negative-U center formation proposed earlier and the concept of specific ordering of doped ions. It is shown that within the framework of the proposed model the features of “stripe” textures of La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ reflect exclusively the geometrical relations existing in a square lattice and the competition between different types of doped hole ordering.     

Electronic phase separation in a low-temperature tetragonal phase of lanthanum-strontium cuprates according to 139La NQR data

A nonuniform electron density distribution is observed in La_{1−x− y} Nd_ySr_xCuO₄ and La_1−x−y Eu_ySr_xCuO₄, and long-lived magnetic fluctuations in these compounds are studied. The dynamics of the magnetic fluctuations depends strongly on the magnetic properties of the rare-earth ions, which stabilize the low-temperature tetragonal phase. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 5, 344–349 (10 March 1998)     

μSR study of internal magnetic fields in superconducting La1.9Sr0.1CuO4 in the mK region

Muon-spin-rotation (μSR) experiments were performed on superconducting La_1.90Sr_0.10CuO₄ in zero external field. Below 2 K, a fast depolarization of the muon signal is observed, indicating that internal magnetic fields are present at the muon site. The average magnitude of the magnetic field in La_1.90Sr_0.10CuO₄ is in the order of 3 mT and thus approximately 14 times smaller than the corresponding field in antiferromagnetic La₂CuO₄. The present data support theoretical models of superconductivity in which magnetic correlations are responsible for pairing.     

119Sn and57Fe Mössbauer study of La2−x Sr x CuO4

Mössbauer absorption measurements were carried out for¹¹⁹Sn and⁵⁷Fe impurities in La₂CuO₄, La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄ and La_1.6Sr_0.4CuO₄. For all cases,⁵⁷Fe spectra at 4.2 K show magnetic hyperfine splittings. On the other hand, a magnetic hyperfine field at Sn nucleus is observed only in the case of La_1.85Sr_0.15CuO₄. The results indicate that the Cu magnetic spins are collectively fluctuating in the superconducting sample.     

Magnetic order in LaEuSrCuO studied [2pt] by Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy

⁵⁷Fe M?ssbauer effect studies of La_1.65Eu_0.20Sr_0.15CuO₄ doped with 0.5 at% ⁵⁷Fe performed in the temperature region 300 K > T > 4.2 K give an onset temperature for magnetic ordering of K. This temperature practically is the same as that found in Nd doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. It indicates that the magnetic ordering temperature in the LTT phase of rare earth (RE) doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ is independent of the RE moment. The direction of the ⁵⁷Fe magnetic moment in the magnetically ordered state is within the CuO₂ plane, while it has been found to be parallel to the c-axis in Nd doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. Received: 23 June 1998 / Accepted: 14 July 1998     

Temperature dependence of (μ−O) paramagnetic shift in highT c superconductor La2−x Sr x CuO4

In order to investigate the electronic structure around oxygen in superconducting La_2–x Sr _x CuO₄ (x=0.10 and 0.14), precise measurements were carried out on the paramagnetic Knight shifts in the spin rotation frequency of the negative muon bound to the oxygen with reference to antiferromagnetic La_2–x Sr _x CuO₄ (x=0.05). Remarkable temperature as well as crystalline-axis dependence was observed for the highT _c case with a divergence character towardsT _c. Possible mechanisms to explain the observed results are given.     

Magnetism in electron-doped copper oxides

We report muon spin relaxation/rotation measurements on sintered powder samples of Nd_2−x Ce _x CuO_4−y and a large single crystal of Nd₂CuO_4−y . We find an electronic phase diagram which is quite similar to that of hole-doped superconductors such as La_2−x Sr _x CuO_4−y , although the doping of electrons into the system is less efficient in destroying the static moments on the copper spins. Static magnetic order in Nd₂CuO_4−y appears below about 250 K, and two spin reorientations are seen atT=75 K andT=35 K. Measurements of the magnetic field penetration depth have been unsuccessful due to the rare-earth paramagnetism of these materials.     

Normal state properties of La2−x Sr x CuO4

The frequency dependence of the reflectivity spectra of doped La_2–x Sr _x CuO₄ in a high frequency region is analyzed based on a picture of correlated hole hopping within a lower Hubbard subband. It is shown that experimental trends are fairly well accounted for by this model, suggesting that the normal state of this compound is quite different from the metallic state.     

The anomalous anisotropy in the ac susceptibility of La1.45Nd0.4Sr0.15CuO4 single crystal

The dependencies of ac susceptibility on the superimposed dc magnetic fields for the stripe-ordered La_1.45Nd_0.4Sr_0.15CuO₄ single crystal with two superconducting transitions have been studied in the 3D and 2D superconducting ranges for the fields along different orientations of the crystal. The results show that with increasing fields the interlayer Josephson coupling and the in-plane superconductivity are suppressed orderly for the fields perpendicular to CuO₂ planes. The influences of the field parallel to CuO₂ planes on the 3D and 2D superconductivity are much weaker than those of the field parallel to the c-axis. The irreversibility lines for the 3D and 2D superconducting states are also studied.     

Floating-zone growth and property characterizations of high-quality La2-хSrхCuO4 superconductor crystals

We have grown underdoped(x=0.11,0.12) and optimally doped(x=0.16) La2 x SrxCuO4 single crystals by the traveling-solvent floating-zone technique.In order to prepare good quality cuprate crystals,we have made much effort to optimize the preparation procedures.For example,we haveadopted the sol-gel route to prepare a highly fine and homogeneous La2xSrxCuO4 precursor powder for fabricating a very dense ceramic feed rod used for the floating-zone growth,and we have also used quite a slow growth rate.The high quality of the grown crystals has been verified by double-crystal x-ray rocking curves,with the full-width-at-half-maximum being only 113-150 arcseconds,which are the best data reported so far for La2xSrxCuO4 crystals.The superconducting critical temperatures of the grown crystals are 30,31 and 38.5 K for x=0.11,0.12 and 0.16 samples,respectively,according to magnetic measurements.     

Competition of magnetic order and superconductivity investigated by positive muon spin rotation in La2−x M x CuO4 (M = Ba,Sr) aroundx=0.12

Muon spin rotation (SR) is applied to La_2–x Ba _x CuO₄ aroundx=0.12 where the superconductivity (SC) is suppressed remarkably. The magnetic ordering of Cu-moments appears below 35 K in the narrow range ofx where a lattice instability from the low temperature orthorhombic (LTO) to the low-temperature tetragonal (LTT) structure exists. The present study suggests strongly that the magnetic ordering of Cu-moments is an important factor in the suppression of high-T _c superconductivity aroundx=0.12 in La_2–x Ba _x CuO₄. Similar results are obtained for the La_2–x Sr _x CuO₄ and La_2–x–y Sr _x Nd _y CuO₄ systems.     

Theory of the electronic structure and spin susceptibility of La2−x SrxCuO4

We solve the problem of the effect of strong electron correlations on the homogeneous spin susceptibility of current carriers in CuO₂ planes. We show that the dependence of the spin susceptibility χ(T) of high-T _c superconductors of the La_2−x Sr_xCuO₄ type on temperature and the doping index x can be explained fairly well by the two-band model suggested earlier (the singlet-correlated oxygen band plus the lower Hubbard band of copper). The model has features in common with the phenomenological t-J model but cannot be reduced to the latter completely. In contrast to the t-J model, the density of states of the oxygen holes has a peak near the bottom of the band. It is the presence of this peak together with the non-Fermi-liquid properties that explain the unusual behavior of the spin susceptibility of La_2−x Sr_xCuO₄. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1763–1777 (November 1997)     

Electrostatic lattice coefficients and binding energy of orthorhombic La2-x Sr x CuO4

Three valency models for orthorhombic La_2-x Sr _x CuO₄ were investigated for increasing Sr concentrationsx (0x0.21): 1. Cu²⁺Cu³⁺, 2. apex O^2–O^– and 3. in-plane O^2–O^–. All calculations were done by using structural parameters valid for the temperature range from 10 to 22 K. We thereby calculated the electrostatic interaction energy which, next to ionization potentials and electron affinities, comprises a major of the binding energyE _B of crystals. Second-order effects were accounted for by calculating the strength of ionic dipole moments induced by crystal electric fields at relevant lattice sites. Their largest strengths are comparable to the dipole moment of the water molecule. Three out of five dipoles in La_2-x Sr _x CuO₄ vanish during the transition from the orthorhombic to the tetragonal phase. The binding energy differences between the different models suggest that the system is in a state of model 1. However, the differences are very small, being in the order of 0.3 to 0.76 eV atx=0.13.