INTERNAL FRICTION AND ULTRASONIC ATTENUATION RELATED TO CARRIERS IN HIGH Tc SUPERCONDUCTORS

For both BiSrCaCuO and TlBaCaCuO samples, internal frictions (Q^-1) in the kHz range reveal a plateau (Q^-1_p) above T_c and a rapid drop below T_c with the turning points located just at T_c for various samples with different T_c. This anomaly cannot be observed in non-superconducting samples. The ultrasonic attenuation (α) in TlBaCaCuO displays similar results to the internal friction. Moreover, it is discovered that the Q^-1_p is nearly proportional to the carrier density for Y(Pr)BaCuO and Gd(Pr)BaCuO with different Pr contents. These results show that the drop of Q^-1 and a below T_c is closely related to superconducting condensation. The Q^-1_p and α_p can be explained using coupling-model of carriers with local dynamic distortion because high T_c superconductors are strong-correlation systems. Furthermore, by taking account of the smearing of superconducting gap structure resulting from the recombination of quasi-particles and by modifying the BCS relative jump rate as S(E, E', Γ) = Re{1-Δ²/[(E-iΓ)(E'-iΓ)]}, the calculated results of internal friction and ultrasonic attenuation below T_c are in good agreement with the experimental data. The superconducting gap Δ and the damping rate Γ for both BiSrCaCuO and TlBaCaCuO have also been obtained, they are in accordance with those got by tunneling spectrum and NMR methods, etc.     

INFLUENCE OF γ-RADIATION ON THE DIELECTRIC CHARACTERISTICS IN Rb2ZnCl4 SINGLE CRYSTALS AT INCOMMENSURATE-COMMENSURATE PHASE TRANSITION

In this paper the influence of γ-radiation on the dielectric constants of Rb₂ZnCl₄ crystal at incommensurate-commensurate phase transition (hereafter abbreviated as INC-C transition) are studied. The thermal hysteresis occurs upon both cooling and heating runs, irrespective of whether the samples have been treated with γ-radiation or not. For the γ-irradiated sample, its transition point, T_c, between the INC and C phases is not changed, but the peak value of the dielectric constant at T_c increases abruptly, compared with that before γ-irradiation, When this sample is annealed at 40℃, the peak value restores to the incipient value for the sample free from γ-irradiation. The origin of the phenomenon of the thermal hysteresis of the dielectric constant may be due to the pinning effect of dejects or impurities in the samples.     

ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE OF Hg0.8Pb0.2Ba2Ca2Cu3O8+δ: THE ROLE OF Pb DOPING, OXYGEN DOPING AND HIGH PRESSURE

The effects of Pb doping, oxygen doping (δ= 0.1,0.2,0.4 and 0.5) and high pressate (4, 8, 15 and 20GPa) on the electronic structure of Hg_0.8Pb_0.2Ba₂Ca₂Cu₃O_8+δ have been examined by the recursion method. Our calculations show that Pb doping only decreases the hole concentration slightly and oxygen doping increases the hole concentration monotonically and significantly as δ varies from 0 to 0.5, with each excess oxygen atom contributing about 1.7 holes to the CuO₂ layers. The optimal δ is estimated to be around 0.4, The hole conceatration increases initially with pres-sure but decreases as P > 8GPa (i.e., dn/dP does change sign at ～ 8GPa). The suppressed T_c(P) by Pb substitution has to be described in the modified Neumeier's model.     

POSITRON LIFETIME STUDIES OF Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3O7-δ AND Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3-xFexO7-δ

In this paper it is reported that the measurement of the bulk positron lifetime as a function of substitution content x in the temperature range from 70 to 220K was performed in two high-T_c superconducting systems, Y_1-xCa_xBa₂Cu_3-xFe_xO_7-δ and Y_1-xCa_xBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ. It was found that τ_B of both systems decreases significantly with x and the temperature dependence of τ_B is very weak in normal state. In lower temperature region (Tc), a dramatic x-dependent temperature variation of τ_B was observed in the Ca-substituted system: from a decrease of τ_B with decreasing T to an increase of τ_B. With increasing x, the temperature dependence of τ_B remains weak in the Ca- and Fe- substituted systems. Compared with the experimental data of positron lifetime in other substituted systems and the calculation of the positron density distribution, the authors suggest that positron bulk lifetime spectra behaviour can be interpreted by the physical model based on the transfer of electron density between the CuO₂ planes and Cu-O chains. Therefore, the study of positron lifetime spectra provides a useful means to detect the local charge density and to study the correlation between the electronic structure and the high-T_c superconductivity.     

INFLUENCE OF OXYGEN UPON THE SUPERCONDUCTIVITY OF THE Pb-DOPED 2223 SUPERCONDUCTOR

The influences of oxygen content (by quenching from different temperatures in air or oxygen) and its re-distribution (by annealing in nitrogen at 200℃) on T_c and room temperature resistivity were studied. It was found that T_c as a function of oxygen content or charge carrier concentration exhibits a maximum. Upon oxygen re-distribution, the room temperature resistivity would always inclose but T_c would change in a complicated way. T_c increases for the oxygen-rich state and decreases for the oxygen-deficient state Internal friction measurements showed that there are two kinds of oxygen defects in the Bi₂-O₂ layers. One is the isolated oxygen interstitials and the other is oxygen vacancies on the excess oxygen chains. It is proposed that the isolated interstitial oxygen will produce a set of impurity states near the Fermi level, and will create holes on the Cu3d-O2p band through charge transfer from the Cu3d-O2p band to the impurity states. The content of the isolated oxygen interstitial is believed to be the major factor for determining the charge carrier concentration. Variation of T_c and room temperature resistivity with oxygen re-distribution is sat-isfactorily explained as to be induced by combination of oxygen interstitials with oxygen vacancies on the excess oxygen-chains.     

SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION TEMPERATURES AND NORMAL-STATE ELECTRICAL RESISTIVITIES OF Tm1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7-δ

Superconducting transition temperature T_c and normal-state electrical resistivities ρ of the Tm_1-xPr_xBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ system have been measured. The results indicate that T_c remains constant for x = 0 to 0.08 before it drops steadily with higher x. Following the Abrikosov-Gor'kov model, a total suppression of superconductivity occurs at a critical Pr concentration x_cr≈0.56. It is found for the first time, as far as we know, that the logarithmic resistivity at 270 K increases linearly with increasing x, yielding ρ= ρ₀e^ax. Judging from the relation between dρ/dT and x, a metal to insulator transition occurs just beyond x_cr.     

ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF La2CuO4 SINGLE CRYSTALS

Bulk superconducting La₂CuO_4+δ single crystals are obtained by using electrochemical intercalation technique from the as-grown insulating samples. Oxidation is carried out by constant current I=10μA at temperature T=70℃ and room temperature, respectively. Structure and magnetic properties are studied by low-temperature X-ray diffraction and susceptibility measurements. A superconducting phase with T_c of 19K and δ-0.12 can be attributed to the formation of oxygen clusters. Room temperature oxidation is inhomogeneous: two superconducting phases with T_c1 of 24K and T_c2 of 8K and an antiferromagnetic phase are coexisting in the crystal. It is found that the appearance of T_c in this system has the "step" tendency.     

PHASE SEPARATION AND JOSEPHSON-COUPLING ORIGIN FOR THE ANOMALOUS Hc2 BEHAVIOR IN OVERDOPED Bi2Sr2-xLaxCuO6+δ CRYSTALS

Hole-overdoped Bi₂Sr_2-xLa_xCuO_6+δ single crystals with two coexistent superconducting transitions have been intensively studied by measuring the dc magnetic susceptibility. It is found that the coexistence of these two phases cannot be attributed to any chemical or vortex dynamical effect but to some intrinsic driving force, such as the electronic-driven phase separation. Furthermore, the upper critical fields of the two phases behave in a rather different way; that is, one of them shows a "normal H_c2 behavior" which can be described by the critical fluctuation theory, while the other exhibits an "anomalous H_c2 behavior" and can be well explained by a recent theory based on an assumption of a Josephson-coupling origin, indicating a strong evidence of Josephson-coupling origin for the upward curvature of the so-called H_c2 in high T_c superconductors.     

Superconductivities and structural properties of ternary Tiben Zrben Ta alloys

Superconductivities and structural properties of Ti-Zr-Ta ternary alloys are extensively investigated. The TiZrTa sample has a cubic structure (β -phase) and shows a sharp superconducting transition at a critical temperature (T_c) of about 7.3 K. In addition, two series of Ti-Zr-Ta alloys, with nominal compositions of Ti_65-xZr₃₅Ta_x and Ti_xZr_65-xTa₃₅ respectively, are prepared, and their superconductivities and crystal structures change regularly with the chemical composition. Our experimental study also indicates that the annealing processing of this kind of material can cause the transition temperature to increase and the highest T_c is observed to be about 8.3 K in annealed samples.     

STUDIES OF NANOCRYSTALLINE PHASE AND RESIDUAL AMORPHOUS PHASE OF FeCuNbSiB ALLOY

The σ-T and dσ/dT-T curves of the FeCuNbSiB amorphous alloy, which are the relationship between "apparent weight loss" and tempera ture, are investigated by magnetic thermogravimetry analysis (MTGA) technique. It is found that the crystallization process of the samples can be divided into five stages. The studies of samples annealed in the temperature range of 480-610℃ for 1 h show that when the annealing temperature (T_a) is lower than 540℃, the quantity of nanocrystalline α-Fe(Si) phase increases evidently with T_a, and the Curie temperature (T_c) of residual amorphous phase also increases linearly with T_a, i.e., T_c=0.52T_a+91.7℃, with correlation coefficient γ=0.98. The variation of volume fraction of α-Fe(Si) nanocrystalline phase or residual amorphous phase with T_a is measured.     

Formation of high-T c phases of the system Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O in a fluxed KCl melt

The influence of the conditions of synthesis and annealing on the ratio of the volumes and the temperature T _c ⁿ at which transition to the superconducting state begins is investigated on the basis of diamagnetic susceptibility measurements and x-ray phase analysis for bismuth 2212 and 2223 phases obtained from solution in a KCl melt. It is found that the value of T _c ⁿ for the 2212 phase decreases as the temperature and the holding time are increased in synthesis. The 2212–2223 transition in the fluxed KCl melt takes place in the presence of an oxygen deficiency, and the width of the transition interval to the superconducting state of the 2223 phase depends on the cooling rate of the fluxed melt after isothermal holding and also on subsequent annealing in air. Temperatures T _c ⁿ =107 K, 90 K, and 20 K are observed for unannealed crystals of the 2223 phase with average dimensions 50×50 μm. Air annealing leads to oxygen saturation of their lattice, and T _c ⁿ =107 K throughout the entire structure of the crystal. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1761–1763 (October 1997)     

EFFECTIVE POTENTIAL OF λφ41+3 AT ZERO AND FINITE TEMPERATURES

The effective potential of λφ⁴₁₊₃ model with both signs of parameter m² is evaluated at T=0 by means of a simple but effective method for regularization and renormalization. Then at T≠0, the effective potential is evaluated in imaginary time Green function approach, using the Plana formula. A critical temperature for restoration of symmetry breaking in the standard model of particle physics is estimated to be T_c≌510 GeV.     

Effects of Fe2+ substitution on magnetic and dielectric properties of CdCr2S4

The magnetic and dielectric properties of polycrystalline Cd_{1 - x}Fe_xCr₂S₄ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.9) are investigated. Upon substitution of Cd by Fe, the Curie temperature (T_C) is increased while the saturation magnetization is decreased. A low doping level of Fe increases the permittivity, while a high doping level decreases the permittivity, which is explained by the internal barrier layer capacitor model. Kinks are observed in the temperature-dependent permittivity and loss tangent near T_C for the samples with x= 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, implying the existence of the magnetodielectric effect. Furthermore, with the increase of Fe content, a decrease of anomaly deviation rate induced by internal molecular field is revealed in the permittivity, while an increase is observed for the loss tangent.     

A POSSIBLE SOLITON-LIKE POLARON MODEL FOR SUPERCONDUCTORS Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3-xMxO7-δ(M=Fe, Ni)

Using 1+1 soliton-like polaron model of a deformable continuum, the critical temperature and the energy gap in high-temperature superconductors Y_1-xCa_xBa₂Cu_3-xM_xO_7-δ(M=Fe,Ni) are studied in the framework of finite temperature Green's function theory. The ratio 2Δ/k_BT_c=3.9 is obtained. Theoretical results are found in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Intrinsic tunneling study of underdoped Bi2Sr2-xLaxCuO6+δ superconductors

We report on a tunneling study of underdoped submicron Bi₂Sr_2-xLa_xCuO_6+δ (La-Bi2201) intrinsic Josephson junctions (IJJs), whose self-heating is sufficiently suppressed. The tunneling spectra are measured from 4.2 K up to the pseudogap opening temperature of T^* = 260 K. The gap value found from the spectral peak position is about 35 meV and has a weak temperature dependence both below and above the superconducting transition temperature of T_c = 29 K. Since the superconducting gap should have a value of 10-15 meV, our results indicate that the pseudogap (～35 meV) plays an important role in the underdoped La-Bi2201 intrinsic tunneling spectroscopy down to the lowest temperature of 4.2 K. However, the contribution of the superconducting gap can be separated by normalizing the spectra to the one near and above T_c, which shows that the IJJs can be a useful tool for the study of the electronic properties of the La-Bi2201 cuprate superconductors.     

纤维状TiO2/BiVO4异质结的高可见光光催化性能

Novel TiO₂/BiVO₄ microfiber heterojunctions were constructed using cotton as biomorphic templates. The as-synthesized samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectra and photocatalytic experiment. The morphology of the as-synthesized TiO₂/BiVO₄ composites was consisted of a large quantity of microfiber structures with diameter from 2.5 μm to 5 μm, and the surface of samples became more coarse and compact with the increase of weight ratio of TiO₂. The TiO₂/BiVO₄ samples with proper content (10.00wt%) showed the highest pho-tocatalytic degradation activity for methylene blue (MB) degradation among all the samples under visible light, and 88.58%MB could be degraded within 150 min. The enhancement of photocatalytic activity was mainly attributed to the formation of n-n heterojunction at the contact interface of TiO₂ and BiVO₄, which not only narrowed the band gap of BiVO₄ for extending the absorption range of visible light, but also promoted the transfer of charge carriers across interface. A possible photodegradation mechanism of MB in the presence of TiO₂/BiVO₄ microfibrous photocatalyst was proposed.     

PHASE TRANSITIONS IN Bi2Sr2(Cu1-zFez)O6+δ

We have investigated, by X-ray diffraction, a series of single crystals of Bi-based oxides with the nominal composition Bi₂Sr₂(Cu_1-zFe_z)O_6+δ(0≤z≤0.55). In this system we observed two structural phase transitions with the increase of the doping content. The first transition, from an incommensurate monoclinic phase to an incommensurate orthorhombic phase, occurs at a doping content of iron z_Fe=0.027. The second one corresponds to a phase transition from an incommensurate orthorhombic phase to a commensurate orthorhombic phase at z_Fe=0.34. The comparison of these results with those for more limited substitutions of Zn and Ni indicates the significant role of the insertion of the extra oxygen in the (Bi-O)_∞ double layers.     

Spectral features of laser induced plasma from YBa2Cu3O7 and GdBa2Cu3O7 highT c superconductors

Laser induced plasma emission spectra from highT _c superconducting samples of YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and GdBa₂Cu₃O₇ obtained with 1.06μm radiation from a Q switched Nd:YAG laser beam has been analysed. The results clearly show the presence of diatomic oxides in addition to ionized species of the constituent metals in the plasma thus produced.     

Synthesis and Structural Study of Sr2CuO3+δ Superconductor under High Pressure

A single-phase Sr₂CuO_3+δ superconductor is synthesized under high temperature and high pressure, in which oxygen atoms only partially occupy the apical sites next to the CuO₂ planes and act as hole-dopants. Thesuperconducting transition temperature with T_c^max=75K is achieved in the material. Structure analysis from x-ray powder diffraction data show that this material crystallizes into a K₂NiF₄ structure with tetragonal unit cell of a=3.795(3)AAand c= 12.507(1)AA. Energy-dispersive synchrotron x-ray-diffraction studies at ambient are performed on powder samples of Sr₂CuO_3+δ in a diamond-anvil cell at pressure up to 35GPa. Anisotropic compressibility is found. Pressure-induced isostructural phase transition might exist as revealed by the discontinuous change of crystal cell volume V withpressure.     

STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF THE La-DOPED Bi-2201 SYSTEM

In this article, the influence of La substitution for Sr on structure and physi-cal properties of the 2201 phase is studied. First, the crystal microstructure of the Bi_2.1Sr_1.9-xLa_xCuO_y (0≤x≤1.0) is characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction analyses, it is discovered that in the La-doped 2201 system with increasing La content the 2201 phase undergoes tetragnoal-orthorhombic-monoclinic structural transition. With this phase transition, the modulation vector of the 2201 phase transforms from incommensurate to commensurate, and the period of the mod- ulation wave decreases. Secondly, the superconductivity of this system is analyzed systematically. The results of the resistivity measurement show that the appropriate amount of La doping can raise the superconducting transition temperature (T_c) of the 2201 phase, with x=0.2, T_c reaches as high as 25K. However the excessive doping of La (x≥0.3) leads the 2201 phase to transit from metal to insulator and the su-perconductivity disappears. The measurement of thermoelectric power (TEP) of this system shows that with increasing La content the TEP value also increases gradu-ally. But the interesting point is that the transition from positive to negative in TEP occurs for x=0.2 sample. In addition, the electronic structure and oxygen content of this system are also studied. Based on these, we analyze the relation between the microstructure, electronic structure of the La-doped 2201 phase and its superconduc-tivity, indicating that the type of element substitution with higher valence, together with the microstructural distortion induced by the substitution affects the electronic states of Cu 3d seriously, that is, changes the degree of coulomb correlation of Cu 3d electrons, thus resulting in the transition of the type of carrier of this system and the decrease of hole carrier concentration, as well as the corresponding variation of the superconductivity of La-doped 2201 phase.