Effect of heat treatment on electronic phase in underdoped La2-xSrxCuO4 single crystal

Superconducting La1.937Sr0.063CuO4 crystals grown by the travelling-solvent floating-zone technique were thermally treated under various temperatures and oxygen pressures for moderately adjusting the oxygen content. The response of intrinsic electronic property of the crystals to the change of hole density in La2-xSrxCuO4 in the vicinity of the magic doping of x= 1/16 （= 0.0625） is studied in detail by magnetic measurements under various fields up to 1 T. It is found that when the superconducting critical temperature （Tc） increases with the oxygen content, there appears also a new subtle electronic state that can be detected from the differential curves of diamagnetic susceptibility dx/dT of the crystal sample. In contrast with the intrinsic state, the new subtle electronic state is very fragile under the magnetic fields. Our results indicate that a moderate change in oxygen doping does not significantly modify the intrinsic electronic state originally existing at the magic doping level.     

The effects of interstitial oxygen on superconducting electronic phases in strontium and oxygen co-doped La1.937Sr0.063CuO4＋δ

Strontium and oxygen co-doped La1.937Sr0.063CuO4＋δ superconductor with Tc≈ 40K, which is obtained by oxidizing strontium-doped starting ceramic sample La1.937Sr0.063CuO4 in NaC10 solution, is annealed under different conditions to allow interstitial oxygen to redistribute. The evolution of the intrinsic superconducting property with the oxygen redistribution is studied in detail by magnetic measurements in various fields. It is found that there occurs the electronic phase separation from the single superconducting phase with Tc ≈ 40 K into two coexisting superconducting states with values of Tc： 15 and 40K or of 15 and 35 K in this system, depending on annealing condition. Our results indicate that the 15, 35 and 40 K superconducting phases associated with the excess oxygen redistribution are all thermodynamically meta-stable intrinsic states in this Sr/O co-doped cuprate.     

磁场对La2－xSrxCuO4单晶热导的影响研究

报道了系列欠掺杂La_2-xSr_xCuO₄（x=0063,0070,0 090,0110,0125）单晶的零场和加磁场情况下ab面和c方向的热导率与温度的关系曲线，测量 温度范围从2到45K. 研究发现ab面和c方向的热导率都受到磁场的压制. 而且在磁场 的作用下，热导压制率随温度变化的关系和场致反铁磁有序的增强与温度的依赖关系有高度 相似性. 认为磁场引起的ab面的热导压制主要是电子热导的变化所致，而c方向的 压制则可能主要来源于声子热导的变化，它们均可能与磁场诱导下欠掺杂La_2-x Sr_xCuO₄的某种电荷有序和磁有序的增强密切相关. 关键词： 热导 电荷有序 磁有序     

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.