Phase fluctuations and the pseudogap in YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x)

The thermodynamics of the superconducting transition is studied as a function of doping using high-resolution expansivity data of YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x) single crystals and Monte Carlo simulations of the anisotropic 3D- XY model. We directly show that T(c) of underdoped YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x) is strongly suppressed from its mean-field value (T(MF)(c)) by phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter. For overdoped YBa(2)Cu(3)O (x) fluctuation effects are greatly reduced and T(c) approximately T(MF)(c). We find that T(MF)(c) exhibits a similar doping dependence as the pseudogap energy, naturally suggesting that the pseudogap arises from phase-incoherent Cooper pairing.     

Structural and superconducting properties of LaFeAs_(1-x)Sb_xO_(1-y)F_y

We report the antimony(Sb) doping effect in a prototype system of iron-based superconductors LaFeAsO1-yFy(y=0,0.1,0.15).X-ray powder diffraction indicates that the lattice parameters increase with Sb content within the doping limit.Rietveld structural refinements show that,with the partial substitution of Sb for As,the thickness of the Fe2As2 layers increases significantly,whereas that of the La2O2 layers shrinks simultaneously.So a negative chemical pressure is indeed "applied" to the superconducting-active Fe2As2 layers,in contrast to the effect of positive chemical pressure by the phosphorus doping.Electrical resistance and magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that,while the Sb doping hardly influences the SDW anomaly in LaFeAsO,it recovers SDW order for the optimally-doped sample of y=0.1.In the meantime,the superconducting transition temperature can be raised up to 30 K in LaFeAs1-xSbxO1-yFy with x=0.1 and y=0.15.The Sb doping effects are discussed in term of both J1-J2 model and Fermi Surface(FS) nesting scenario.     

Nodal d + id pairing and topological phases on the triangular lattice of Na(x)CoO(2).yH(2)O: evidence for an unconventional superconducting state

We show that finite angular momentum pairing chiral superconductors on the triangular lattice have point zeroes in the complex gap function. A topological quantum phase transition takes place through a nodal superconducting state at a specific carrier density x(c) where the normal state Fermi surface crosses the isolated zeros. For spin-singlet pairing, we show that the second-nearest-neighbor (d+id)-wave pairing can be the dominant pairing channel. The gapless critical state at x (c) approximately 0.25 has six Dirac points and is topologically nontrivial with a T3 spin relaxation rate below T(c). This picture provides a possible explanation for the unconventional superconducting state of Na(x)Co O(2). yH(2)O. Analyzing a pairing model with strong correlation using the Gutzwiller projection and symmetry arguments, we study these topological phases and phase transitions as a function of Na doping.     

Magnetic-field dependence of the maximum supercurrent of La2-xCexCuO4-y interferometers: evidence for a predominant dx2-y2 superconducting order parameter

We performed a phase-sensitive test of the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter of the electron doped cuprate La(2-x)Ce(x)CuO(4-y) using a superconducting quantum interferometer with spatially distributed Josephson junctions. The studies were made on a thin film grown on a SrTiO3 tetracrystal substrate. The superconducting transition temperature was about 29 K which indicates that the sample is close to optimal doping. The magnetic field dependence of the critical current gives strong evidence for a predominant dx(2)(-y(2)) order parameter symmetry of the sample measured. It also gives upper limits for the s-wave component in a mixed order parameter of the type s+idx(2)(-y(2)).     

Potassium doping effect on the lattice softening and electronic structure of Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) probed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy

Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) superconducting samples (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5) were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method. In this contribution the doping effect of potassium on the lattice dynamics in this newly discovered Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe(2)As(2) superconductor has been investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy. The analysis shows that with potassium doping an increased disorder in the iron layers is mainly related to the softening of the Fe-Fe bond. Information about the electronic structure of these materials has also been obtained by looking at the X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectra that point out the presence of holes in the Fe-3d/As-4p hybridized orbital of the BaFe(2)As(2)-based system.     

Nonmonotonic d(x(2)-y(2)) superconducting order parameter in Nd2-xCexCuO4

Low energy polarized electronic Raman scattering of the electron-doped superconductor Nd2-x Ce x CuO4 ( x = 0.15, T(c) = 22 K) has revealed a nonmonotonic d(x(2)-y(2)) superconducting order parameter. It has a maximum gap of 4.4k(B)T(c) at Fermi surface intersections with an antiferromagnetic Brillouin zone (the "hot spots") and a smaller gap of 3.3k(B)T(c) at fermionic Brillouin zone boundaries. The gap enhancement in the vicinity of the hot spots emphasizes the role of antiferromagnetic fluctuations and the similarity in the origin of superconductivity for electron- and hole-doped cuprates.     

Gapless Chiral Superconducting ( d + id )-Wave Phase in Strongly Correlated Layered Material with a Triangular Lattice

It is shown that interlayer electron tunneling in the quasi-two-dimensional ensemble of Hubbard fermions leads to the realization of the gapless superconducting phase with the chiral (d + id)-wave order parameter symmetry, not for a single value of sodium ion concentration, but in a wide range of concentrations. Precisely this situation corresponds to experimental data on the layered sodium cobaltite intercalated by water (NaxCoO2 ⋅ yH2O). Intra-atomic electron repulsion that determines the strong electron correlation regime leads to the representation of Hubbard fermions, the interaction of which ensures Cooper instability. Intersite intralayer interactions between fermions considerably affect the positions of nodal points of the chiral order parameter and change the critical concentration at which a topological transition occurs in the 2D system of Hubbard fermions.     

Kinks, nodal bilayer splitting, and interband scattering in YBa2Cu3O(6+x)

We apply the new-generation angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy methodology to the most widely studied cuprate superconductor YBa2Cu3O(6+x). Considering the nodal direction, we found noticeable renormalization effects known as kinks both in the quasiparticle dispersion and scattering rate, the bilayer splitting, and evidence for strong interband scattering--all the characteristic features of the nodal quasiparticles detected earlier in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+delta). The typical energy scale and the doping dependence of the kinks clearly point to their intimate relation with the spin-1 resonance seen in the neutron scattering experiments. Our findings strongly suggest a universality of the electron dynamics in the bilayer superconducting cuprates and a dominating role of the spin fluctuations in the formation of the quasiparticles along the nodal direction.     

Interband proximity effect and nodes of superconducting gap in Sr2RuO4

The power-law temperature dependences of the specific heat, the nuclear relaxation rate, and the thermal conductivity suggest the presence of line nodes in the superconducting gap of Sr2RuO4. These recent experimental observations contradict the scenario of a nodeless (k(x)+ik(y))-type superconducting order parameter. We propose that interaction of superconducting order parameters on different sheets of the Fermi surface is a key to understanding the above discrepancy. A full gap exists in the active band, which drives the superconducting instability, while line nodes develop in passive bands by the interband proximity effect.     

双掺杂铁基1111型超导体Nd1-xBaxFeAsO1-2xF2x的磁传输性能研究

采用两步固相反应法,在母相FeAs=1111结构的NdFeAsO中掺入BaF2,实现电子与空穴的双掺杂．该体系超导转变温度（Tc）在33-50K范围,取决于名义BaF2掺杂量x．在实验范围内,掺杂量越大,转变温度越高,当x=0．2时,Tc达到50K．磁电阻测量表明：高掺杂量样品（例如x=0．2）具有较高的上临界场（Hc...     

Magnetic breakdown in the electron-doped cuprate superconductor Nd(2-x)Ce(x)CuO4: the reconstructed Fermi surface survives in the strongly overdoped regime

We report on semiclassical angle-dependent magnetoresistance oscillations and the Shubnikov-de Haas effect in the electron-overdoped cuprate superconductor Nd(2-x)CexCuO4. Our data provide convincing evidence for magnetic breakdown in the system. This shows that a reconstructed multiply connected Fermi surface persists, at least at strong magnetic fields, up to the highest doping level of the superconducting regime.     

Absence of large nanoscale electronic inhomogeneities in the Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2 pnictide

⁷⁵As NMR and susceptiblity were measured in a Ba(Fe_1-xCo_x)₂As₂ single crystal for x = 6% for various field H values and orientations. The sharpness of the superconducting and magnetic transitions demonstrates a homogeneity of the Co doping x better than ±0.25%. On the nanometer scale, the paramagnetic part of the NMR spectra is found very anisotropic and very narrow for H∥ab which allows to rule out the interpretation of reference [J. Phys. Soc. Jpn 78, 013711 (2009); Phys. Rev. B 79, R 140506 (2009)] in terms of strong Co induced electronic inhomogeneities. We propose that a distribution of hyperfine couplings and chemical shifts due to the Co effect on its nearest As explains the observed linewidths and relaxations. All these measurements show that Co substitution induces a very homogeneous electronic doping in BaFe₂As₂, from nano to micrometer lengthscales, on the contrary to the K doping.     

The superconducting transition temperatures of Fe(1+x)Se(1-y), Fe(1+x)Se(1-y)Te(y) and (K/Rb/Cs)(z)Fe(2-x)Se2

In a recent contribution to this journal, it was shown that the transition temperatures of optimal high-T(C) compounds obey the algebraic relation T(C0) = k(-1)(B)/?ζ, where ? is related to the mean spacing between interacting charges in the layers, ζ is the distance between interacting electronic layers, β is a universal constant and k(B) is Boltzmann's constant. The equation was derived assuming pairing based on interlayer Coulomb interactions between physically separated charges. This theory was initially validated for 31 compounds from five different high-T(C) families (within an accuracy of ±1.37 K). Herein we report the addition of Fe(1+x)Se(1-y) and Fe(1+x)Se(1-y)Te(y) (both optimized under pressure) and A(z)Fe(2-x)Se(2) (for A = K, Rb or Cs) to the growing list of Coulomb-mediated superconducting compounds in which T(C0) is determined by the above equation. Doping in these materials is accomplished through the introduction of excess Fe and/or Se deficiency, or a combination of alkali metal and Fe vacancies. Consequently, a very small number of vacancies or interstitials can induce a superconducting state with a substantial transition temperature. The confirmation of the above equation for these Se-based Fe chalcogenides increases to six the number of superconducting families for which the transition temperature can be accurately predicted.     

Anomalous peak in the superconducting condensate density of cuprate high- T(c) superconductors at a unique doping state

The doping dependence of the ratio of the superconducting condensate density to the effective mass, n(o)(s)/m(*)(ab), was studied in detail by muon-spin rotation for Y(0.8)Ca(0.2)Ba(2)(Cu(1-z)Zn(z))(3)O(7-delta) and Tl(0.5-y)Pb(0.5+y)Sr(2)Ca(1-x)Y(x)Cu(2)O(7). Our data show that n(o)(s)/m(*)(ab) exhibits a peak at a unique doping state in the overdoped regime. Its position coincides with the critical doping state, where the normal state pseudogap was reported to appear and to deplete the electronic density of states. This finding implies that the pseudogap primarily arises from a change in the electronic ground state rather than from thermal fluctuations.     

Nodal quasiparticle lifetime in the superconducting state of Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta)

We have measured the complex conductivity sigma of a Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+delta) thin film between 0.2 and 0.8 THz. We find sigma in the superconducting state to be well described as the sum of contributions from quasiparticles, condensate, and order parameter fluctuations which draw 30% of the spectral weight from the condensate. An analysis based on this decomposition yields a quasiparticle scattering rate on the order of k(B)T/Planck's over 2pi for temperatures below T(c).     

YBa2Cu1-xCox(Cu1-yZny)2Oz体系的Co,Zn共同掺杂效应

本文报道通过对YBa₂Cu_1-xCo_x(Cu_1-yZn_y)₂O_z(0≤x,y≤0.1)体系晶体结构、氧含量、正常态电阻-温度关系、Hall效应以及超导临界温度等的综合测量,发现随着Co和Zn含量的增加,体系经历了从正交结构的超导金属向四方结构的非超导半导体的转变,超导临界温度T_c和载流子浓度n_h均迅速下降,Co 关键词：     

Tetracritical point and staggered vortex currents in superconducting state

A phase diagram reflecting the main features of the typical phase diagram of cuprate superconductors has been studied within the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau phenomenology in the vicinity of a tetracritical point, which appears as a result of the competition of the superconducting and insulating pairing channels. The superconducting pairing under repulsive interaction corresponds to a two-component order parameter, whose relative phase is related to the orbital antiferromagnetic insulating ordering. Under weak doping, the insulating order coexists with the superconductivity at temperatures below the superconducting phase transition temperature and is manifested as a weak pseudogap above this temperature. A part of the pseudogap region adjacent to the superconducting state corresponds to developed fluctuations of the order parameter in the form of quasi-stationary states of noncoherent superconducting pairs and can be interpreted as a strong pseudogap. As the doping level is increased, the system exhibits a phase transition from the region of coexistence of the superconductivity and the orbital antiferromagnetism to the usual superconducting state. In this state, a region of developed fluctuations of the order parameter in the form of quasi-stationary states of uncorrelated orbital circular currents exists near the phase transition line.     

Theory of the interplay between the superconductivity and the blocked antiferromagnetic order in A(y)Fe(2-x)Se(2)

Based on an effective two-orbital tight-binding model, we examine the possible superconducting states in iron-vacancy-ordered A(y)Fe(2-x)Se(2). In the presence of ordered vacancies and blocked antiferromagnetic order, it is shown that the emergent SC pairing is the nodeless next-nearest-neighbor (NNN)-pairing due to the dominant antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction between the inter-block NNN sites. In particular, we show that due to the ordered vacancies and the associated blocked AFM order, the interplay between the superconducting and AFM states results in three distinct states in the phase diagram as doping is varied. The divergent experimental observations can be accounted for by considering the different charge carrier concentrations in their respective compounds.     

Two- to three-dimensional crossover in the electronic structure of (Bi, Pb)2(Sr, La)2CuO(6+delta) from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

The hole-concentration (x) dependence of the three-dimensional energy-momentum dispersion in (Bi, Pb)2(Sr, La)2CuO(6+delta) has been investigated by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. For a heavily overdoped sample of T(c) < or = 0.5 K, an energy dispersion of approximately 10 meV in width is observed in the vicinity of the (pi, 0) point with varying momentum along the c axis (k(z)). This k(z) dispersion is zero for underdoped, optimally doped, and slightly overdoped samples up to a doping level corresponding to T(c) = 22 k. At higher doping levels we observe significant dispersion of the order of 10 meV (sample with T(c) < or = 0.5 K). This is clear evidence that at a doping value corresponding to T(c) = 22 K, a crossover from two- to three-dimensional electronic structure occurs.     

Doping dependent evolution of magnetism and superconductivity in Eu(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 (x = 0-1) and temperature dependence of the lower critical field H(c1)

We have synthesized polycrystalline samples of Eu(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 (x = 0-1) and carried out systematic characterization using x-ray diffraction, ac and dc magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity measurements. A clear signature of the coexistence of a superconducting transition (T(c) = 5.5 K) with spin density wave (SDW) ordering is observed in our underdoped sample with x = 0.15. The SDW transition disappears completely for the x = 0.3 sample and superconductivity arises below 20 K. The superconducting transition temperature Tc increases with increase in the K content and a maximum Tc = 33 K is reached for x = 0.5, beyond which it decreases again. The doping dependent Tx phase diagram is extracted from the magnetic and electrical transport data. It is found that magnetic ordering of Eu moments coexists with the superconductivity up to x = 0.6. The isothermal magnetization data taken at 2 K for the doped samples suggest the 2+ valence state of the Eu ions. We also present the temperature dependence of the lower critical field H(c1) of the superconducting polycrystalline samples. The values of H(c1)(0) obtained for x = 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 after taking the demagnetization factor into account are 202, 330, and 212 Oe, respectively. The London penetration depth λ(T) calculated from the lower critical field does not show exponential dependence at low temperature, as would be expected for a fully gapped clean s-wave superconductor. In contrast, it shows a T2 power law feature up to T = 0.3Tc, as observed in Ba(1-x)K(x)Fe2As2 and BaFe(2-x)Co(x)As2.