Correlation between the electric-field effect and weak-link type in YBa2Cu3−x Oy and YBa2Cu3−x Oy /Agx high-T c superconducting ceramics

An experimental study is reported of the effect of an electric field E⩽120 MV/m and of temperature T on the critical current I _c and I-V characteristics of yttrium-based high-T _c superconducting ceramics. The materials studied were copper-deficient ceramics, YBa₂Cu_3−x O_y (D samples), and YBa₂Cu_3−x O_y/Ag_x ceramics [S samples with silver present in amounts equal to the copper deficiency (0⩽x⩽0.4)]. It has been established that in D samples at 77 K, the electric field increases I _c and reduces substantially R for I>I _c, whereas in S samples no field effect is observed. Measurements of the I _c(T) dependence near the critical temperature showed that they can be described for all samples by a relation of the type I _c =const(1−T/T _c )^α, where α≈1 for the D samples, and α≈2 for the S samples. The results obtained suggest that the electric-field effect correlates with the existence in the ceramic of SIS-type weak links at grain boundaries. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1195–1198 (July 1998)     

Abrupt increase in thermal diffusion belowT c in YBa2Cu3O7−δ

We report the variation of the thermal diffusivity in the high temperature superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ below the transition temperature measured using photo-acoustic technique α is found to increase sharply belowT _c. Qualitative explanations are given.     

Microphase separation and magnetic Jahn-Teller polarons in LaSrAl1−xCuxO4−δ

An EPR study of the solid solutions LaSrAl_1−x Cu_xO₄, which are isostructural to La₂CuO₄, shows that microphase separation of the structure occurs already at small copper concentrations (x≈0.01). A phase enriched with Cu appears along with a phase of La₂AlO₄, which contains isolated CuO₆ centers. It is established that the nature of the states and the deformations of the CuO₆ centers is determined by internal Jahn-Teller factors. When x⩽0.1, EPR signals are detected for new dynamic centers, which are identified as CuO₆ Jahn-Teller centers with a hole delocalized among the four in-plane oxygen ions (the total spin S=1). When 0.1⩽x<1, local CuO ₆ ⁻ hole centers transform into magnetic Jahn-Teller polarons, which include five or more CuO₆ fragments, in the copper phase of the structure. Their transformations and the conditions for observing them are discussed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 622–628 (April 1998)     

Thermal expansion of orthorhombic and tetragonal phases of the highT c superconductors RE1Ba2Cu3O y (RE=Y,Gd, Dy)

Measurements of the coefficient of linear thermal expansion α have been carried out for the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases of RE₁Ba₂Cu₃O _y (RE=Y, Gd, Dy) compounds using a high resolution capacitance dilatometer in the temperature range 77–300 K. All the superconducting samples exhibit a jump Δα at their respective transition temperatures,T _c. Evidences of, sample-to-sample variation in α values and dependence of Δα on the sample preparation conditions, have been obtained. The non-superconducting samples, in general, exhibit lower values of α possibly because of lowering of oxygen content.     

Correlations betweenT c andn s/m * (carrier density/ effective mass) in high-T c and organic superconductors

We update our muon spin relaxation studies of the magnetic field penetration depth which show the correlations betweenT _c and the relaxation rate σ αn _s/m ^* (carrier density/effective mass) of hole-doped high-T _c cuprate superconductors (La₂, Sr₃)CuO₄, YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (Y_1−xPr_x)Ba₂Cu₃O₇, and other double and triple layer systems. These studies are extended to the organic superconductor (BEDT-TTF)₂Cu(NCS)₂.     

Temperature dependence of the YBa2Cu3O7 energy gap in differently oriented tunnel junctions

We have applied the break-junction technique to highly biepitaxial c-axis oriented YBa₂Cu₃O₇ thin films with T _C (ρ=0) = 91 K. Mechanically adjustable junctions with a good stability and tunneling current favored along the ab-planes have been realized. The conductance characteristics of these junctions show the presence of gap related maxima that move towards zero bias for increasing temperatures. Considering the misorientation angle α≈ 45 ^° ± 5 ^° of the junction, a maximum gap value at the Fermi level Δ ≈ 22 meV is inferred at T = 13 K. The temperature dependence of the gap related structures, shows a quasilinear behavior for T > 0.4 T _C similar to that observed in c-axis oriented, S-I-N type YBa₂Cu₃O₇ planar junctions. Received 20 July 2001     

Superconductivity and electronic liquid-crystal states in twin-free YBa<Subscript>2</Subscript>Cu<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>6+x</Subscript> studied by neutron scattering

In this paper, we first give a concise overview of recent experimental and theoretical work dealing with “electronic liquid-crystal states” which spontaneously break different symmetries of the CuO₂ layers of high-T _c cuprates, with an emphasis on evidence in the spin excitation spectrum. Then we describe the importance of using twin-free samples to look for evidence for fourfold symmetry breaking in the spectrum and explain the preparation procedure to obtain such samples. We present inelastic neutron scattering results for moderately underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_6.6(T _c = 61  K) and nearly optimally doped YBa₂Cu₃O_6.85(T _c = 89  K). In YBa₂Cu₃O_6.6, the dispersion topology changes when heating above T _c from an hourglass shape with constricted, commensurate resonance peak to a “Y”-shape without resonance anomaly. This change, and the fact that the low-energy signal above T _c can be described by an incommensurate, quasi-one-dimensional distribution, indicates a competition of superconductivity with an electronic liquid-crystal state. We then show a striking analogy between the difference signal I(5  K) − I(70  K) and the downward dispersing resonance mode in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.85. We therefore argue that a resonance mode only emerges below T _c, irrespective of the doping level. We finally discuss the implications of our results for the different scenarios invoked to explain the electronic liquid-crystal state in cuprates.     

Comparative analysis of the effect of La and Co on the superconductivity and energyband spectrum of YBa2Cu3Oy for different oxygen contents

Temperature dependences of the resistivity and Seebeck coefficient of Y(Ba_1−x La_x)₂Cu₃O_y and YBa₂Cu_3−x Co_xO_y samples (x=0–0.25) have been measured under maximum sample saturation with oxygen, as well as following their anneal in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. The T _c (x) dependences for as-prepared samples were found to pass through a maximum at x=0.05, which persists after annealing for Y(Ba_1−xLa_x)₂Cu₃O_y and disappears for YBa₂Cu_3−x Co_xO_y. A phenomenological model of the band spectrum in normal phase has been used to determine the parameters of the conduction band and of the carrier system, and to analyze their variation with the dopant type and content, as well as with annealing. Despite the differences observed in the T _c (x) dependence, the critical temperatures for all the sample series studied were found to correlate with the conduction-band effective width. The mechanism of the effect of impurities on the band-structure parameters and the reasons for the different influence of annealing on the properties of Y(Ba_1−x La_x)₂Cu₃O_y and YBa₂Cu_3−x Co_xO_y are discussed. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 389–394 (March 1997)     

Short-circuit current limiter utilizing a high-Tc superconductor

Experimental data are given on a prototype short-circuit current limiter utilizing a polycrystalline high-T _c superconductor of composition Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δ . The limiter comprises a seriesconnected dc circuit element immersed in liquid nitrogen. To improve the efficiency, a polycrystalline high-T _c superconductor having an S-shaped current-voltage characteristic is used as the current limiter. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 129–130 (October 1998)     

Resistive transition and upper critical field in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x single crystals

A superconducting transition in the temperature dependence of the ab-plane resistivity of underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x crystals in the range T _c≲30 K has been investigated. Unlike the case of samples with the optimal level of doping, the transition width increased insignificantly with magnetic field, and in the range T≲13 K it decreased with increasing magnetic field. The transition point T _c(B) was determined by analyzing the fluctuation conductivity. The curves of B _c2(T) measured in the region T/T _c≳0.1 did not show a tendency to saturation and had a positive second derivative everywhere, including the immediate neighborhood of T _c. The only difference among the curves of B _c2(T) for different crystal states is the scales of Tand B, so they can be described in terms of a universal function, which fairly closely follows Alexandrov’s model of boson superconductivity. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 268–284 (January 1999)     

Characteristics of the structural properties and the electric conductivity in LaSrAl1−x NixO4 ceramics caused by the Jahn-Teller effect

In studying LaSrAl_1−x Ni_xO₄ ceramics, anomalies are detected in the concentration dependences of the lattice parameter c, the electrical resistance, and the sign change of the Hall constant at x≈0.6. It is shown that the collection of observed phenomena can be interpreted as a manifestation of the Jahn-Teller nature of low-spin Ni³⁺ centers. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 418–422 (March 1999)     

The μSR study of the relaxation of Ho and Er magnetic moments in high-Tc 1-2-3 compounds

High temperature superconductors HoBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (T _c ≅93 K), Ho_0.5Y_0.5Ba₂Cu₃O_7−δ (T _c ≅93 K) and ErBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (T _c ≅95 K) were investigated by the zero-field μSR-technique. The muon spin depolarisation rate connected with the fluctuation frequency of rare-earth ion magnetic moments was measured. It was found that the samples with holmium show a fast increase of the muon spin depolarisation rate at temperatures below 20 K, while in ErBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ the depolarisation rate remains low in the whole temperature region studied (4.2 K-270 K). The sharp difference between the behaviours of the muon spin depolarisation rate may be explained by the difference between the ground state of Ho³⁺ and Er³⁺ ions in the crystalline field of the lattice.     

Oxygen defects relaxation in high-temperature YBa2Cu3O7 superconductors

The temperature dependences of normal state static magnet susceptibility χ(T) for high-temperature YBa₂Cu₃O₇ superconductors (T _c ≤ T ≤ 400 K) measured for the same sample before and after 22 years of storage are compared. It is shown that during longime storage of a maximally doped sample, its electronic system is more in equilibrium than it was in the initial state, while a similar underdoped sample decomposed completely. Comparing the χ(T) curves for YBa₂Cu₃O₇, we draw conclusions as to the nature of the Curie contribution and the fluctuation-induced contribution to the magnetic susceptibility of the investigated sample, and the experimental procedure for determining T _c.     

Magnetic field dependence ofT c and temperature dependence ofH c2 in layered superconductors with open normal state Fermi surface

A theoretical framework for treating the effects of magnetic fieldH on the pairing theory of superconductivity is considered, where the field is taken in an arbitrary direction with respect to crystal axes. This is applicable to closed, as well as open normal state Fermi surface (FS), including simple layered metals. The orbital effects of the magnetic field are treated semiclassically while retaining the full anisotropic paramagnetic contribution. Explicit calculations are presented in the limits |H| → |H _c2(T)|,T ∼ 0 andT →T _c(|H|), |H| ∼ 0. Effects of weak nonmagnetic impurity scattering, without vertex corrections, have also been taken into account in a phenomenological way. The final results for the case of open FS and layered materials are found to differ considerably from those of the closed FS. For example, an important parameter,h(T=0)=|H_c2(0)|/[-Tδ|H _c2 T|δT]_T{s0} for the case of a FS open ink _z-direction with thek _z-bandwidth, 4t ₃, very small compared to the Fermi energy,E _F, is close to 0.5906, compared to 0.7273 for the closed FS, in the clean limit. Analytical results are given for the magnetic field dependence ofT _c and the temperature dependence of H _c2 for a model of layered superconductors with widely open FS. For a set of band structure parameters for YBa₂Cu₃O₇ used elsewhere, we find reasonable values for the upper critical fieldH _c2(0), the slope (dH _c2/dT)_{T c0}, anisotropic coherence lengths ζ_i(T=0),i=x, y, z, and (dT _c/d|H|)_{|H| → 0}.     

Appearance of superconductivity in the tetragonal ceramic NdBa2Cu3O6.67 as a result of oxygen ordering under pressure

The appearance of superconductivity and the relaxation of T _c to the equilibrium value T _c ≈30 K in a period of five days were observed in the tetragonal ceramic NdBa₂Cu₃O_6.67 under a pressure of 1 GPa. The superconducting phase vanishes 1.3 h after the pressure is released. This behavior is explained by the charge redistribution occurring as a result of pressure-induced ordering of oxygen in the CuO_x planes. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 10, 784–787 (25 May 1996)     

Characteristic features of the temperature dependence of the surface impedance of YBa2Cu3O6.95 single crystals

The real and imaginary parts of the surface impedance Z _s =R _s +iX _s of YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 single crystals are measured at a frequency ω/π=9.4 GHz. The quantities R _s (T) and X _s (T) are linear functions of temperature for T<0.3T _c (T _c =93.5 K). A maximum of R _s (T) and a plateau of X _s (T) are observed in the interval 35<T<65 K. Our experimental data, just as all recent measurements of R _s (T) in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 single crystals in the temperature range 0<T<1.3T _c , are described well in a two-fluid model which assumes electron-phonon scattering of quasiparticles. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 12, 893–898 (25 June 1997)     

Crystal structures of high-T c oxides

A comprehensive review of structure work on high-T _c oxides as reported during the years 1987 and 1988 is given. Thirteen structures are refined from X-ray single-crystal and/or neutron powder diffraction data:I. (Ba_1–x ,K _x )BiO₃ (T _c =30 K),II. (La_2–x , Sr _x )CuO₄ (T _c =40 K),III. (Nd, Ce, Sr)₂CuO₄ (T _c =28 K),IV. (Nd_2–x , Ce _x )CuO₄ (T _c =24 K),V. YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (T _c =90 K),VI. YBa₂Cu₄O₈ (T _c =80 K),VII. Y₂Ba₄Cu₇O₁₄ (T _c =40 K),VIII. Pb₂Sr₂NdCu₃O₈ (T _c =70 K),IX. TlBa₂CaCu₂O₇ (T _c =103 K),X. TlBa₂Ca₂Cu₃O₉ (T _c =120 K),XI. Tl₂Ba₂CuO₆ (T _c =90 K),XII. Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ (T _c =112 K),XIII. Tl₂Ba₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀ (T _c =125 K). Except forI (perovskite type),II (K₂NiF₄ type) andIV (Nd₂CuO₄ type) they represent new structure types. Structure data, bond distances, structure drawings and calculated X-ray powder diffraction patterns are given for each compound. Structural features and correlations with superconductivity are discussed. The review contains 301 citations.     

Temperature dependence of surface impedance of Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8−δ and YBa2Cu3O6.95 single crystals measured in the microwave band

The real part R _s and the imaginary part X _s of the surface impedance Z _s=R _s+ iX _s of Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O_8−δ and YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 single crystals have been measured with high precision at frequency ω/2π=9.4 GHz in the temperature range 0<T<140 K. In the Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O_8−δ crystal a linear temperature dependence R _s(T) has been found for T⩽50 K, and the magnetic field penetration depth λ(4.2 K)=X _s(4.2 K)/ω μ ₀≈3760 Å has been measured. Along with well known features of the function Z _s(T) in high-quality YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 single crystals, such as the linearity of λ(T) and R _s(T) for T<T _c/3 and a maximum of R _s(T) at T∼T _c/2, the linearity range of λ(T) extends to T≃50 K, and this curve has a plateau in the range 60<T<85 K. The curve of R _s(T) in both the superconducting and normal states of YBa₂Cu₃O_6.95 is well described by a two-fluid model with the electron-phonon mechanism of quasiparticle relaxation. A formula describing the curve of λ ²(0)/λ ²(T) throughout the studied temperature range is also given. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 2210–2222 (December 1997)     

Different path of pressure-induced oxygen ordering and disordering processes in YBa2Cu3O6+x near a metal-insulator transition

The relaxation of the superconducting transition temperature T _c in YBa₂Cu₃O_6.38 is investigated with increasing oxygen order in the CuO_x plane under 1 GPa pressure and with decreasing oxygen order after the pressure is relieved. It is established that the oxygen disordering process is more rapid than the pressure-induced ordering process: The ratio of the relaxation times of T _c in these processes τ _ord/τ _disord≈5. This behavior could be caused by different mechanisms of the pressure-induced increase in the Cu-O chain length and decrease of this length after pressure relief. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1968–1973 (November 1998)     

Microwave absorption in a Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x single crystal near the superconducting transition

Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7−x single crystals are investigated near T _c ≈92 K in fields 0<H⩽9 kOe using a modified ESR spectrometer. The temperature modulation method is used for the first time, together with the traditional magnetic modulation method, to detect microwave responses in single crystals. Superconducting-transition peaks shifted relative to one another in temperature and differing in shape are observed in the temperature dependence of the corresponding signals ∂R/∂H and ∂R/∂T (R — microwave absorption). The evolution of these peaks as a function of the field and the angle π between H and the c axis of the single crystal is traced. It is shown that the difference in the temperature dependences of the derivatives ∂R/∂H and ∂R/∂T is due to the broadening of the superconducting transition characteristic of HTSCs. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 14–17 (January 1999)