Structural instability in high-T c superconducting oxides

Two broad internal friction (attenuation as well) peaks in YBCO measured at around 120 K and 250 K are found to exhibit the characteristics of a first-order phase transition. X-ray diffraction indicates no symmetry change on cooling from room temperature but only a downward jump of the lattice parameters was observed. This is referred to as a phase-like transition (PLT) and further confirmed by stress-strain, specific heat and Debye-Waller factor measurements. There always occurs a phase-like transition at 10-30 K above T _c in YBCO, BSCCO and TBCCO which disappears in the non-superconducting phases. Ultrasonic studies on single-crystal BSCCO reveal a pronounced elastic anisotropy in the c-plane and a velocity minimum associated with PLT. The overall trend of elastic stiffening below room temperature and some discrepancies and questions in elasticity measurements so far observed for high-T _c oxides have been explained or clarified in terms of an abnormal fast change of lattice parameters.     

NQR investigations of high-T c superconducting oxides

Nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) of⁶³Cu has been performed to study the electronic and magnetic properties of YBa₂Cu₃O_6.1 ceramics, treated in iodine or bromine vapours. An analysis of the NQR shows undistorted CuO₂ planes and the absence of an increase of the oxygen content in chains of Cu(1)-O in halogen treated Y-Ba-Cu-O ceramics.¹³⁹La NQR spin-lattice relaxation measurements in powdered La_2?x CuO_4?y compounds are also reported. The present results indicate that the¹³⁹La nuclear relaxation is dominated by the Cu⁺⁺-Cu⁺⁺ magnetic correlations.     

Effects of strong electron correlations in X-ray and electron spectra of high-T c superconductors

The current state of theoretical and experimental studies on the electronic structure of high-T _c superconductors is analyzed. The agreement between the theory and experimental spectroscopic data is shown to be rather poor in certain cases. The reason is that the X-ray and electronic spectra reveal strong electron correlations. At the same time, no realistic model has been developed up to now in which both one-electron and multielectron mechanisms of the formation of the spectra could be described in a unified way in compounds containing transition and rare-earth elements. In this paper, particular attention is paid to a sudden-perturbation model, by which it has been possible to describe or interpret some X-ray and electronic spectra, including both one-electron and multielectron effects.     

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.     

Anisotropic properties of the microwave magneto-dissipation in high-T c superconducting films

We report measurements of the magnetic field dependent microwave dissipation at 21 GHz in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x epitaxial films and in oriented YBa₂Cu₃O_7?σ films, by means of the end-wall-replacement cavity technique. The power reflected by the tuned cavity is measured as a function of the external magnetic fieldH and of the angle ε betweenH and the (a, b), planes, at fixed temperatures. In Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x , apart from a narrow (Δε≈0.5°) angular range close to the parallel orientation, the strongly anisotropic dissipation exhibits striking scaling properties: all the data at fixed temperature can be made to collapse on a single curve with a simple angular scaling of the magnetic field:H→H/f(ε). It is found that the anisotropy ratiof(0°)/f(90°) increases with temperature. It is shown that the scaling functionf(ε) and its temperature evolution are in agreement with the model for a quasi-2D superconductor. In YBa₂Cu₃O_7-σ the presence of the flux-flow dissipation prevents the application of a scaling procedure, and a specific model must be applied. We obtain that the anisotropy is almost constant with the temperature, as predicted for a three-dimensional, anisotropic superconductor.     

The nature of the superconducting state of the high-T c superconductors

At the present time it is possible to get a reasonably good understanding of the nature of the superconducting state in the recently discovered, high transition temperature cuprate superconductors based on experimental results published over the past year or two. These experiments now impose significant constraints on possible theoretical models which can be used to explain the superconductivity. We show how these experiments impose these constraints and discuss those questions which remain unanswered.Invited talk at the International Conference on Macroscopic Quantum Phenomen a, Smolenice Castle, Czechoslovakia, September 18–22, 1989.I am indebted to J. P. Collman, C. Caley, M. Holcomb, and G. Yee for valuable discussion, comments and criticism. I acknowledge financial support for this work from the Department of Energy (grant number DEFG03-86ER45245). I wish also to thank the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences for the opportunity to attend the International Conference on Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena at Smolenice, Czechoslovakia, September 1989 and support for my stay.     

Temperature profile evolution in quenching high-T c superconducting composite tape

Irreversible normal zones leading to quench is an important aspect of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) in all practical applications. As a consequence of quench, transport current gets diverted to the matrix stabilizer material of the high-T _c composite and causes Joule heating till the original conditions are restored. The nature of growth of the resistive zone in the superconductor greatly influences the temperature evolution of the quenched zone. In this investigation, a complete mathematical analysis of the temperature profile evolution following a quench in a HTS has been carried out. Such prediction in temperature profile would aid the design of HTS tape-based practical applications in limiting the thermal stress-induced damages in off-normal scenarios.     

Magnetically modulated microwave absorption in ceramic high-T c superconducting samples

Previously we have proposed a model of magnetically modulated microwave absorption (MMMA) which assumes formation of superconducting current loops closed by Josephson junctions and well explains the origin and properties of the periodic signal in HTS monocrystals. Now we try to explain the origin of a broad low field MMMA line in ceramic samples by treating this signal as a sum of many periodic signals arising from individual grains.     

Spin dynamics of the electron-doped high-T(c) superconducting cuprates

We show that a basic difference between the electron- and hole-doped cuprates is their proximity to two different quantum critical points in a 2D free fermion system on a square lattice and that the spin dynamics observed recently for the first time in the electron-doped Nd2-xCexCuO4, very different from that in the hole-doped cuprates, can be understood as a consequence of this effect.     

The microwave absorption of high-T c superconducting thin film samples

The experimental and theoretical investigations of microwave losses (ML) in HTSC thin films are carried out. It is shown theoretically that ML in the maximum of the magnetic componentB ₁ are essentially larger than those in the maximum of the electric componentE ₁. This is because eddy currents make much more substantial contribution to ML as compared to conventional conductivity currents. The consequence of this is the angular dependence of ML with respect to theB ₁ field direction which was experimentally observed. The angular dependences of ML with respect to theB ₀ field direction for both low and highB ₀ values were also investigated. The majority of experimental data can be well explained within the mixed model which predicts the existence of a critical state in inter- and intragranular Josephson medium.     

Investigation of novel highT c superconducting oxides

Our results of microscopic and macroscopic studies of novel highT _c superconductors are discussed. They permit a straightforward comparison of the nature of the superconductivity in 40 K range (La₂CuO₄ type) and 90 K range (YBa₂Cu₃O₇ type) superconductors.     

Two band model for superconducting copper oxides

Assuming that predominant charge carriers in superconducting cooper oxides are holes on O sites, we derive a microscopic model representing a coupled system of spin degrees of freedom on Cu sites and a low concentration of mobile holes. The analysis of a single magnetic polaron shows a large enhancement of the hole effective mass and a strong sensitivity of the antiferromagnetic ground state on doping. Possible mechanisms for the hole pairing are also discussed.     

Dynamic magnetic permeability of a thin, high-T c superconducting wafer

The field dependence of the vibrational contribution to the dynamic magnetic permeability μ _V(H) is calculated for a thin (of thickness d∼λ) high-T _c superconducting wafer in a magnetic field parallel to the surface. The resulting curves are plotted on the basis of an exact numerical analysis of the vortex structures both for the thermodynamic-equilibrium vortex lattice and in the presence of pinning forces and the Bean-Livingston surface barrier. It is shown that the μ _V(H) curves are highly sensitive to the size factor (d/λ) and exhibit abrupt changes corresponding to a change in the number of vortex rows. The equilibrium μ _V(H) curve is found to be similar in its general behavior and absolute value (obtained with allowance for the distribution of grain sizes and with appropriate values of λ and ϰ) to the experimental μ _V(H) curve plotted at nitrogen temperature for fine-grained YBa₂Cu₃O_x with grain diameters 〈D〉∼λ in an increasing magnetic field. It is established that the main cause of the experimentally observed irreversible behavior of the μ _V(H) curves during cyclic variation of the applied magnetic field is the existence of a surface barrier to the exit of vortices from the superconductor. The lower limit H _min(B) of stability of the mixed state in the presence of an ideal surface barrier in a thin, high-T _c superconducting wafer (d∼λ) is determined, along with the range of the vortex state (H _max-H _min) for a fixed number of vortices in micrometer-size grains of the investigated YBaCuO samples. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1943–1947 (November 1997)     

NMR experiment on high-T c oxides at Tokyo Metropolitan University

NMR experiments on high-T _c oxides done at Tokyo Metropolitan University are reviewed. The first is⁸⁹Y NMR in YBCO with Y site dilutely substituted by Gd ions. The second isT ₂ ^t-1 of^63,65Cu NQR in YBCO. The third is¹H NMR from probe material coated on YBCO and BSCCO.     

The structure and defect structure of high-T c superconducting materials in the system Tl-Ba-Ca-Cu-O

Electron diffraction and high resolution electron microscopy have been applied to study Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ and Tl₂Ba₂Ca₂Cu₃O₁₀. The structures only differ in the thickness of the perovskite lamellae and have tetragonal basic unit cells witha=0.385,c=2.93 nm anda=0.385,c=3.58 nm, respectively. A modulation with wave vectors in (100)^* and (010)^* planes occurs in both compounds. This modulation of which the intensity is somewhat sample dependent is much weaker than in the Bi compounds and disappears irreversibly upon heating of the specimen. Intergrowth of lamellae of different phases does occur, although not as frequently as in the Bi compounds.Work performed in the framework of The Institute for Materials Science, I.M.S. (Antwerp) with financial support of I.U.A.P.     

On the optical conductivity of high-T c superconductors

We have solved the self-consistent equation for self-energy of a hole in a quantum antiferromagnet. The optical conductivity is estimated. The results are in good agreement with experiments and numerical simulations.     

Structure of high-T c superconducting tape of the second generation with high current-carrying capacity

Commercial high-T _c superconducting tape produced by Superpower Inc. (the U.S.A.) is studied by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The superconductor structure is shown to consist of a superconducting layer of average composition GdBa_1.5Cu_2.5–3.0O _y coated by a silver layer and buffer layers of LaMnO₃, MgO,Y₂O₃, and Al₂O₃ deposited on a metallic tape of nickel alloy (Ni-Cr-Mo-Fe-W-Co-Mn). The superconducting layer is formed by the superconducting oxide GdBa₂Cu₃O _y containing lamellar inclusions Gd₂O₃.     

Dynamical nature of chaos in electron systems of high-T c superconductors

A model of the fermion-condensation phase transition forming a plateau in the spectrum of single-particle excitations near the Fermi surface at T=0 is used to analyze those features of the spectral functions of normal states of high-T _c superconductors which are inherent in a marginal Fermi liquid contaminated by impurities. With this model, such a behavior is shown to be due to the fermion condensate, which acts as an impurity subsystem because its energy spectrum at T=0 is dispersionless. The influence of the anisotropy of condensate distribution in the Brillouin zone on the spectral functions is discussed.     

Spin dynamics in the stripe phase of high-T c cuprates with the modulation of superconducting order

Possible superconducting order modulation and its effect on the spin susceptibility in the coexisting phase of the stripe and superconducting orders are investigated. It is shown that the superconducting order modulation is mainly caused by the spin-domain-derived scattering, while the charge-domain-derived scattering tends to suppress it in a wide parameter region. The modulation leads to a two-peak structure in the spin excitation spectrum, which is qualitatively consistent with the recent experimental observations in La_{2- x} Sr _x CuO₄. This result suggests the importance of the superconducting order modulation for the understanding of the multiform spin excitations in these cuprate superconductors.     

A model for the high-T c superconductivity based on electron hopping

A model is proposed based on electron hopping between octahedral Cu²⁺ and Cu³⁺ ions. Exchange interaction is assumed to be an electron-exciton one. Ground-state excitons are formed by freeze-in of the hopping process. The model is able to explain the main phenomena observed in the new high-T _c superconductors.