c-axis penetration depth in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals measured by ac-susceptibility and cavity perturbation technique

The c-axis penetration depth Δλ_c in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ (BSCCO) single crystals as a function of temperature has been determined using two techniques, namely, measurements of the ac-susceptibility at a frequency of 100 kHz and the surface impedance at 9.4 GHz. Both techniques yield an almost linear function Δλ_c(T)∝T in the temperature range T<0.5T _c. Electrodynamic analysis of the impedance anisotropy has allowed us to estimate λ_c(0)≈50 µm in BSCCO crystals overdoped with oxygen (T _c≈84 K) and λ_c(0)≈150 µm at the optimal doping level (T _c≈90 K).     

Statistical correlations on the BiO surface in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8−x single crystals

Low temperature scanning tunneling microscope techniques are applied to study statistical properties of the BiO plane in 2212 high-T_c single crystals. The correlation functions of height deviations in x and k -spaces have been numerically obtained. Long range power law correlations have been found and attributed to half lattice cell jumps of known height in the c direction. Analysis of the correlation function in k-space reveals two modulating superstructures in the b direction. The most pronounced structure is the well known superstructure with period a₁ ≈ 27 Å. The other one has period a₂ ≈ 58 Å which is a little more than twice the period of the main superstructure.     

Break junction tunnelling on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ-single crystals

Break junction tunnelling experiments on Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊-single crystals were performed at different temperatures. Carefully adjusted samples exhibited conductance curves showing only one large peak at positive and negative bias voltages. From these measurements a gap value =(21.2±2.8) meV, i.e. 2/k _B T _c =(5.5±0.8), was inferred. The behaviour of the conductance curves is similar to that of conventional superconductors but with a much larger broadening of the tunnelling characteristic. Therefore, several models which could explain this smearing are compared with the experimental data. However, it is found that none of them is capable of fitting the conductance curves convincingly. In some cases tunnel characteristics similar to those predicted by a charging effect model or a multigap model were obtained.This work was supported financially by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through SFB 252.     

Tunneling in single-layer Bi2Sr2CuO6+δ single crystals in high magnetic field

In tunneling experiments with high-quality single crystals of a single-layer cuprate superconductor Bi₂Sr₂CuO_6+δ using the break junction and point-contact techniques at T<T _c, the coexistence of the superconducting-state gap and the normal-state gap was observed. The values of the superconducting energy gap 2Δ_p?p are in the range from 13.4 to 15 meV (Δ_p?p=6.7–7.5 meV). The values of 2Δ_p?p are similar for two samples with T _c=4 K and for two samples with T _c=9–10 K and are independent of the carrier concentration. The normal-state gap, with the magnitude approximately equal to 50 meV, persists at T<T _c and in the magnetic field H?H _c2 up to 28 T. After the transition of the sample to the normal state, the intensity of the tunneling conductance rapidly decreases with increasing magnetic field strength and temperature. The observed large broadening of the tunneling spectra and large zero-bias conductances can be caused by a strong angular dependence of the superconducting gap. The tunneling results are in full agreement with the data of the angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements.     

Superconducting energy gap in Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ (Bi2223) single crystals

Current-voltage characteristics of S-I-S tunnel break junctions fabricated from pure undoped Bi2223 single crystals (T _c =110 K) were measured. High quality of the crystals enabled production of good tunnel junctions with a low or almost zero leakage current and well developed gap structure in the tunneling spectra. The peak-to-peak energy gap values 2Δ_p-p in different crystals and the tunnel junctions ranged from 80 to 105 meV. The tunneling conductance in the superconducting state was normalized to that in the normal state and compared to a smeared BCS density of states. A simple fit of the data gave the average value of Δ=38.5 meV and reduced gap 2Δ/kT _c ?8, consistent with a very strong coupling mechanism.     

Microstructure and flux distribution in both pure and carbon-nanotube-embedded Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ superconductors

In order to improve pinning properties of bulk Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ (Bi-2212) materials, samples of both pure Bi-2212 and Bi-2212 with carbon nanotubes embedded (CNTE Bi-2212) have been prepared by partial-melting processing. The preparation conditions are chosen so that a significant fraction of carbon nanotubes can be successfully embedded in the material, as indicated by thermogravimetric analysis. The microstructure and composition of non-superconducting second phases are found to be different in these two types of samples. By means of magneto-optical (MO) imaging, flux distributions in both types of samples are investigated up to T=77 K. The MO investigation reveals the propagation of a flux front in both pure and CNTE Bi-2212, showing that there is a strong coupling between grains (clusters) which enables the flow of inter-granular currents. This grain coupling persists in our field range of ±180 mT. In bulk non-textured ceramic high-T_c superconductors, the flux fronts caused by currents flowing through the entire sample are observed for the first time. Intra-granular current densities are obtained from the images as a function of grain size. The MO investigations have revealed the differences in the current densities caused by the presence of carbon nanotubes, showing that the carbon nanotubes are indeed functioning like columnar defects produced by heavy-ion irradiation. The increase of the flux penetration field is also a manifestation of the increase of the transport current density in the CNTE Bi-2212. The superconducting properties in our samples are very well reproducible.     

Oxygen isotope effect in optimally doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ studied by low-energy ARPES

Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with low-energy tunable photons, we studied the oxygen isotope effect in optimally doped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ (Bi2212). We found the oxygen isotope shift in the real part of the electron self-energies [ReΣ(ω)s] along the nodal direction derived not only from the momentum distribution curves (MDCs) but also from the energy distribution curves (EDCs). Present results indicate straightforwardly the coupling between the nodal electrons and the phonons.     

LECTRONIC STRUCTURE STUDIES OF Bi2Sr2CaCu2-xSnxO8+δ SYSTEM

Photoemission measurements have been carried out for Bi₂Sr₂CaCu_2-xSn_xO_8+δ system with conventional x-ray photoemission spectroscopy for core-level spectra and synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy for valence band. With Sn doping, all core levels shift differently in binding energy, and the intensity near fermi energy becomes smaller in valence hand. From the experiment, we can deduce that the shifts of all core levels and valence hands may involve some other mechanisms, such ms electrostatic effects, in addition to binding energy referencing effects. We argue that the chemical environment plays a crucial role in the electronic structure of high-temperature superconductors.     

Electronic Structure Studies of Bi2Sr2CaCu2-xSnxO8+δ System

This paper presents a linear output feedback synchronization approach for a chaotic Arneodo system. Based on the linear stability theorem, a sufficient condition of asymptotic synchronization is given, and the boundary of the range of the output feedback parameter is given also. Finally, a computer simulation is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.     

Asymmetric local displacements in the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+β superconductor

Instantaneous in-plane Cu-O bond distribution in the Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+β (Bi2212) superconductor has been investigated by high k-resolution Cu K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measured with polarized vector parallel to the two orthogonal Cu-O-Cu bonds of the CuO₂ square plane. The results show an anisotropic Cu-O distribution in the two directions and provide further information on the local atomic displacements in the lattice-charge stripes. Received 5 June 2000     

Numerical study of multi-hole SQUIDs using Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ intrinsic Josephson junctions

The I–V characteristics and the resultant total energies have been calculated full numerically for the parallel arranged multi-hole superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) consisting of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ high-T_c superconductors intrinsic Josephson junctions (BSCCO–IJJs). It has been found that (I) the effect of charge coupling between neighboring Josephson junctions is not so important, (II) the effect of noise is not so crucial except for the case of low β_L and no external magnetic field, and (III) a reliable external magnetic field dependence is obtained when the β_L is less than about 0.5, where the β_L is a dimensionless parameter defined by L_loopI_c/Φ₀ using a loop inductance L_loop of a SQUID, a critical current I_c of a junction, and a flux quantum Φ₀. We have pointed out that (IV) the steps which differ from Shapiro steps are found when an external ac modulation current is applied to the parallel arranged multi-hole SQUIDs, and (V) the I–V characteristics of a double hole BSCCO–IJJs–SQUID trapping a flux quantum can be controlled as a function of the external magnetic field.     

Cu-EPR in YBa2Cu3O6+δ single crystals

We report on the observation of Cu-EPR signals in single crystalline material of YBa₂Cu₃O₆₊ in the narrow oxygen concentration range 0.7<<0.9 and for temperatures 80 K<T<200 K. We provide evidence that the signal results from Cu²⁺ ions located in Cu(1)OCu(1) chain fragments.     

Zn-substitution effects on the low-energy quasiparticles in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We have performed high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy on Bi₂Sr₂Ca(Cu_1−xZn_x)₂O_8+δ (x=0.0, 0.05) to study the Zn-substitution effects on the low-energy quasiparticles. We found that the Zn substitution causes the reduction of the quasiparticle intensity and the superconducting gap, while it does not affect the normal-state band dispersion, the Fermi surface, or the quasiparticle lifetime. This indicates that the Zn substitution locally destroys or hinders the superconducting pairing and as a result decreases the superfluid density, but does not affect the long-range coherence among quasiparticles.     

Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ单晶超导临界温度的各向异性

研究了具有不同氧含量的Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 δ单晶超导临界温度的各向异性,通过测量沿ab面和c轴的电阻率发现,在轻欠掺杂到过掺杂区域,单晶沿ab面和c轴的Tc值是比较接近的,但在重欠掺杂区,沿ab面的Tc值比c轴的Tc明显高,从平衡态的相位涨落模型可以得到,由于涨落效应对 c轴的临界电流密度的压制作用比对ab面的要强,导致了Tc的各向异性,但这种模型无法解释重欠掺杂超导体中ab面和c轴的Tc如此大的差别,我们认为重欠掺杂超导体中的相位涨落行为不同于其他掺杂超导体中的行为,实验和理论上都值得进一步深入研究。     

Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δAu界面性质的研究

采用高真空下(2～3×10-5Pa)原位,低温(77K)解理,高速原位蒸发金膜的方法,我们得到了接近"本征"的CuO2/Au接触界面.测量结果显示接触界面为欧姆接触.四端法测量的结果显示这样的界面有着较小的电阻率(<1.5×10-8Ωcm2).我们认为,一种可能是因为临近效应的影响造成了CuO2/Au接触界面电阻的消失,而所测量到的剩余电阻实际应为外电路引入的电阻,而另一种可能是界面仍然存在一极小的欧姆接触电阻.这将对研究高温超导体与金属接触的界面性质有着积极的意义.     

Scaling of the energy gap withT c in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

The results of a high-resolution photoemission study using synchrotron radiation of two single crystals of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊, with different critical temperaturesT _c due to a variation in oxygen stoichiometry are reported. Within experimental accuracy, the energy gap 2 is found to scale withT _c , amounting to a reduced gap parameter of 2/k _BT_c7.4. Employing resonant photoemission at the O–2s and Cu–3p thresholds, two spectral peaks at binding energies of 180 meV and 320 meV were identified as predominantly O–2p-and Cu–3d 4s-derived states, respectively.