Effect of pressure on the superconducting transition in Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system

Abstract

The effect of pressure on T_c was studied on 110 K class Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O (1:1:1:2) compounds. T_c was varied with current in I^3/2 , and defined at the value extrapolated to zero current. dT_c /dP = + 0.18 K/kbar was obtained up to 10.9 kbars.     

Charge Kondo anomalies in PbTe doped with Tl impurities

We investigate the properties of PbTe doped with a small concentration x of Tl impurities acting as acceptors and described by Anderson impurities with negative onsite correlation energy. We use the numerical renormalization group method to show that the resulting charge Kondo effect naturally accounts for the unusual low temperature and doping dependence of normal state properties, including the self-compensation effect in the carrier density and the nonmagnetic Kondo anomaly in the resistivity. These are found to be in good qualitative agreement with experiment. Our results for the Tl s-electron spectral function provide a new interpretation of point contact data.     

Effect of interlayer single-particle hoppings on the superconducting transition temperature

It is well known that the superconducting transition temperature of high-T _c cuprates depends on the number of CuO₂ planes in the unit cell. The multilayer structure implies the possibility of interlayer hopping. Under the assumption that the interlayer hopping can be specified by the parameter t _⊥(k) = t _⊥(cos(k _x ) − cos(k _y ))², the quasiparticle excitation spectrum for the bilayer cuprate in the superconducting state has been determined in the framework of the t − t′ − t″ − t _⊥ − J* model using the generalized mean-field approximation. It turns out that the interlayer hoppings does not create any additional mechanism of the Cooper paring and does not lead to an increase in T _c . The splitting of the upper Hubbard quasiparticle band attributed to the interlayer hoppings is manifested as two peaks in the doping dependence of the superconducting transition temperature at temperatures below the maximum T _c value for a single-layer cuprate. It has been found that antiferromagnetic interlayer correlations suppress the interlayer splitting. This probably leads to the common doping dependence of T _c for both single-layer and bilayer cuprates.     

Evidence for charge Kondo effect in superconducting Tl-doped PbTe

We report results of low-temperature thermodynamic and transport measurements of Pb1-xTlxTe single crystals for Tl concentrations up to the solubility limit of approximately x=1.5%. For all doped samples, we observe a low-temperature resistivity upturn that scales in magnitude with the Tl concentration. The temperature and field dependence of this upturn are consistent with a charge Kondo effect involving degenerate Tl valence states differing by two electrons, with a characteristic Kondo temperature T(K) approximately 6 K. The observation of such an effect supports an electronic pairing mechanism for superconductivity in this material and may account for the anomalously high T(c) values.     

Effect of the superconducting transition on phonon energies and lifetimes in lead

We have performed a high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering study of certain transverse phonons in lead. We find that neither the energies nor the linewidths change appreciably with the onset of superconductivity. This finding contradicts a recent experimental report, but is in accord with theoretical expectations.     

Effect of high pressure on the superconducting transition temperature of Pd-H

Under hydrostatic pressure a negativedT _c /dp comparable to that of non-transition superconductors has been found for Pd-H. A simple model is discussed, which is able to explain the isotope-effect in Pd-H(D), and which is in agreement with the observed pressure effect.     

High temperature superconducting behaviour in PbTePb system

We have observed a strongly field dependant diamagnetic susceptibility in PbTe up to temperatures reaching 20° K. This could be explained through anomalous superconductivity of lead precipitates in subgrain boundaries of PbTe crystals.     

Effect of phonon scattering from neutral and charged impurity centers on the lattice heat conductivity of PbTe:(Tl, Na)

Experimental data on the effect of thallium and sodium impurities on the lattice heat conductivity of PbTe at room temperature are reported. Because the lattice of lead chalcogenides is strongly polarized near charged impurities, the effect of impurities on the lattice heat conductivity depends substantially on their charge state. This property of the material has been used to determine the charge state of the thallium impurity in PbTe. The results obtained argue for a model of quasi-local thallium-impurity states which assumes low electron-correlation energy at an impurity center. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1206–1208 (July 1998)     

Anderson localization and the pseudogap in the energy spectrum of holes in PbTe: Tl under resonant scattering

This paper reports on a comprehensive study of the effect of additional doping with the Na acceptor impurity on the low-temperature resistivity of PbTe samples doped with Tl (2 at %), an impurity producing a band of resonant states within the valence-band spectrum. By additional doping with Na, we have shifted the Fermi level within the band of the resonant states of Tl in PbTe and varied the hole filling (k _h ) of the thallium impurity states. The larger part of the PbTe: (Tl,Na) samples transfers to the superconducting state with a critical temperature T _c = 0.4–2.3 K. The T _c (k _h ) relation obtained argues for the fact that, in the region of resonant states in PbTe: Tl, Anderson localization of holes and a pseudogap in the density of delocalized states are observed.     

Anomalous behavior of superconducting transition temperature of amorphous and crystalline Nb3Ge under pressure

The superconducting transition temperature (T_c) of amorphous Nb₃Ge was studied under both hydrostatic and quasihydrostatic pressure to 3.5 and 13 GPa, respectively. Whereas hydrostatic pressure causes T_c to initially decrease, T_c is found to increase under higher quasihydrostatic pressures. T_c(p) was also studied on an A-15 crystalline Nb₃Ge sample obtained from the amorphous sample by annealing.     

Correlation between the superconducting transition temperature and anisotropic quasiparticle scattering in Tl2Ba2CuO6+delta

Angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements are used to determine the isotropic and anisotropic components of the transport scattering rate in overdoped Tl2Ba2CuO6+delta for a range of Tc values between 15 and 35 K. The size of the anisotropic scattering term is found to scale linearly with Tc, establishing a link between the superconducting and normal state physics. A comparison with results from angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy indicates that the transport and quasiparticle lifetimes are distinct.     

Effect of nuclear irradiation on the superconducting transition temperatures of A-15 materials

A mechanism for the degradation of superconducting transition temperatures T_c by high energy nuclear irradiation in A-15 materials is proposed. The radiation is supposed to produce small “disordered” regions having a very low T_c, in a matrix having the original T_c of the material. The composite system has a well defined but lower T_c due to the proximity effect of the “disordered” regions.     

Effect of transition metal additions on the resistivity of Fe83B17 amorphous alloys

Alloying effects of transition metals on Fe₈₃B₁₇ amorphous alloy were investigated. The resistivity versus temperature curves of Fe₈₃T₃B₁₇ between 4.2–300 K depend on the magnetic behaviour of the transition elements, while below 4.2 K show universal behaviour as it was suggested recently.     

Effect of elastic strain and stress on the superconducting transition temperature of quench-condensed films

The volume dependence of the superconducting transition temperatureT _c of amorphous and highly disordered films is investigated by bending the film substrate. The volume coefficientd InT _c /d InV of annealed Sn and Pb films agrees with the volume coefficient known from hydrostatic pressure experiments. This bending technique is applied to superconducting modifications which can be produced only by quench condensation onto a substrate at liquid helium temperature. Amorphous films such as Bi, Ga, Sn₉₀Cu₁₀ and Pb_xBi_1–x, as well as highly disordered Sn and Pb films, are investigated. The relations found between the volume coefficient, the electron-phonon coupling constant and the Grüneisen parameter _G are in reasonable agreement with the volume dependence ofT _c for non-transition metals, obtained on the basis of the McMillan equation. In particular, the results represent an expansion of this kind of investigation to very strong-coupling superconductors.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. W. Buckel on the occasion of his 60th birthdayPaper based in part on a Habilitationsschrift submitted to the Fakultät für Physik, Universität Karlsruhe (TH)