Anharmonic oxygen vibration and mode softening in Tl2Ba2Ca2Cu3O10 superconductor

The softening of the IR active 300 cm⁻¹ phonon mode in Tl-2223 superconductor, aroundT _c has been explained by considering a sixth order polarization potential at the off-center oxygen ion site in the Tl-O plane, and by using a nonlinear lattice dynamical theory. The present theory explains, more or less satisfactorily, the unusual temperature dependence of oxygen ion vibration and frequency shifts at higher temperature. The existence of strong nonlinear electron-phonon interaction atT _c has been emphasized.