Excimer-laser-induced ablation of the high-T c superconductor Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O

The ablation of ceramic Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O by XeCl-excimer-laser projection has been investigated. In both air and vacuum, etching commences at about 2.4 J/cm² and then increases with fluence within the regime investigated ( <) 20 J/cm²). At 10 J/cm² the respective etch rates are around 1 m/pulse and 1.6 m/pulse.     

Electronic structure of new LiFeAs high-T c superconductor

We present results of ab initio LDA calculations of electronic structure of “next generation” layered iron-pnictide high-T _c superconductor LiFeAs (T _c = 18 K). Obtained electronic structure of LiFeAs very similar to recently studied ReOFeAs (Re = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) and AFe₂As₂ (A = Ba, Sr) compounds. Namely close to the Fermi level its electronic properties are also determined mainly by Fe 3d-orbilats of FeAs₄ two-dimensional layers. Band dispersions of LiFeAs are very similar to the LaOFeAs and BaFe₂As₂ systems as well as the shape of the Fe-3d density of states and Fermi surface. The article is published in the original.     

Self-organization in film nucleation in the high-T c superconductor Y-Ba-Cu-O system

The process of new-phase nucleation in the YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x system deposited by magnetron sputtering has been studied. The first experimental observation of the phenomenon of temporal self-organization in the course of new-phase formation, which was predicted theoretically,^1–3 is reported. Auto-oscillations in the number of nuclei of various chemical compounds 20–60 nm in size were observed to occur within the 15 to 300-s time interval, the total number of nuclei varying aperiodically from 10¹³ m⁻² to less than 10¹¹ m⁻². Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 216–218 (February 1997)     

Subharmonic Shapiro steps and noise in high-T c superconductor Josephson junctions

An experimental investigation is made of the subharmonic Shapiro steps observed on the I-V curves of high-T _c superconductor Josephson junctions and on the bias-voltage dependences of the rf noise and detector response when the junctions are subjected to external submillimeter radiation. Structures of this type are ordinarily described by a nonsinusoidal current-phase relation, which is why subharmonic steps appear. Numerical modeling of the processes occurring in a Josephson junction by means of a simple current-phase relation, as in the case of an SNS junction, gives good agreement with experiment. The width of the characteristic Josephson generation line of the junction was estimated on the basis of the noise dependences and the selective detector response. The width can be explained by taking into account the shot noise of the tunneling component of the conductivity. A model of the conductivity of a high-T _c superconductor Josephson junction, consisting of a tunnel junction with microshorts possessing metallic conductivity, is discussed. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 68, No. 5, 426–430 (10 September 1998)     

Dynamical layer decoupling in a stripe-ordered high-T(c) superconductor

In the stripe-ordered state of a strongly correlated two-dimensional electronic system, under a set of special circumstances, the superconducting condensate, like the magnetic order, can occur at a nonzero wave vector corresponding to a spatial period double that of the charge order. In this case, the Josephson coupling between near neighbor planes, especially in a crystal with the special structure of La(2-x)Ba(x)CuO(4), vanishes identically. We propose that this is the underlying cause of the dynamical decoupling of the layers recently observed in transport measurements at x = 1/8.     

Fermi-condensate quantum phase transition in high-T c superconductors

The effect of a quantum phase transition associated with the appearance of fermionic condensation in an electron liquid on the properties of superconductors is considered. It is shown that the electron system in both superconducting and normal states exhibits characteristic features of a quantum protectorate after the point of this Fermi-condensate quantum phase transition. The single-particle spectrum of a superconductor can be represented by two straight lines corresponding to two effective masses M _FC * and M _L *. The M _FC * mass characterizes the spectrum up to the binding energy E ₀ , which is of the order of the superconducting gap in magnitude, and determines the spectrum at higher binding energies. Both effective masses are retained in the normal state; however, E ₀ ?4 T. These results are used to explain some remarkable properties of high-T _c superconductors and are in good agreement with recent experimental data.     

Thermal conductivity and thermal Hall effect in Bi- and Y-based high-T c superconductors

Measurements of the thermal conductivity (k_xx) and the thermal Hall effect (k_xy) in high magnetic fields in Y- and Bi-based high-T _c superconductors are presented. We describe the experimental technique and test measurements on a simple metal (niobium). In the high-T _c superconductors k_xx and k_xy increase below T _c and show a maximum in their temperature dependence. k_xx has contributions from phonons and quasiparticle (QP) excitations, whereas k_xy is purely electronic. The strong increase of k_xy below T _c gives direct evidence for a strong enhancement of the QP contribution to the heat current and thus for a strong increase of the QP mean free path. Using k_xy and the magnetic field dependence of k_xx we separate the electronic thermal conductivity ( k _xx ^el ) of the CuO ₂ -planes from the phononic thermal conductivity ( k _xx ^ph ). In YBa₂Cu₃O _{7 - δ} k _xx ^el shows a pronounced maximum in the superconducting state. This maximum is much weaker in Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O _{8 + δ} , due to stronger impurity scattering. The maximum of k _xx ^el is strongly suppressed by a magnetic field, which we attribute to the scattering of QPs on vortices. An additional magnetic field independent contribution to the maximum of k_xx occurs in YBa₂Cu₃O _{7 - δ} , reminiscent of the contribution of the CuO-chains, as determined from the anisotropy in untwined single crystals. Our data analysis reveals that below T _c as in the normal state a transport (τ) and a Hall ( ) relaxation time must be distinguished: The inelastic (i.e. temperature dependent) contribution to τ is strongly enhanced in the superconducting state, whereas displays the same temperature dependence as above T _c . We determine also the electronic thermal conductivity in the normal state from k_xy and the electrical Hall angle. It shows an unusual linear increase with temperature. Received 23 August 2000     

Propagation of magnetostatic waves in a ferrite plus high-T c superconductor structure in the presence of transport current in the superconductor

A thin-film structure consisting of a ferrite and a high-T _c superconductor was used to investigate the effct of the transport current in the superconductor on the amplitude-frequency characteristic and dispersion of surface magnetostatic waves (MSWs) in a ferrite film. It was found that the nature of energy transfer between the MSWs and the superconducting film undergoes a significant change as the transport current is varied. In particular, in one of the current ranges, energy can be transferred both from the MSWs to the superconductor and back again, whereas in another range it can only be efficently transferred to the superconductor. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 2195–2202 (December 1997)     

Composition and superconductivity in single layer Bi-2201 phases

Several materials with nominal 2201 composition were prepared from various systems Bi_2+xSr_2-xCuO_6+z, Bi₂Sr_2-xCuO_6+z, Bi_2-xPb_xSr₂O_6+z, Bi_2.1-xPb_xCuO_6+z,Bi₂Sr_2-yLa_yCuO_6+z, Bi_1.9Pb_0.1Sr_2-yLa_yCuO_6+z, Bi_2-xPb_xSr_1.6La_0.4CuO_6+z and Bi_2.1-xPb_xSr_1.5La_1.4CuO_6+z in different gas atmospheres. According to the structural investigations the 2201 phase shows solid solution behaviour. However, irrespectively of the method of preparation the appearance of superconductivity is confined to multiphase material. Furthermore, the superconducting volume fraction is uniformly as low as ? 3%. The observed presence of trace superconductivity is easily explainable by small admixtures of superconducting foreign phases and in disagreement with the assumption of intrinsic superconducting properties of the Bi based 2201 phase.     

Anionic substitutions in Bi-2223 superconductor

Samples of nominal stoichiometry Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca_2.5Cu_3.5O_x−zF_z and Bi_1.6Pb_0.4Sr₂Ca_2.5Cu_3.5O_x−z(SO₄)_z (z=0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9) were prepared by standard solid state reaction from appropriate oxides, carbonates, copper (II) fluoride, and copper (II) sulphate. Superconducting properties of the samples were characterized by measuring of temperature dependency of their electrical resistivity and critical current density, their phase composition was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and element composition by X-ray fluorescence (XRF). While greater amount of fluorine widens the superconducting transition and worsens transport properties, the less doped sample shows increase in critical current density. Sulphur-doped samples show no superconducting transition at all.     

Insulator-metal transition in biased finite polyyne systems

A method for the study of the electronic transport in strongly coupled electron-phonon systems is formalized and applied to a model of polyyne chains biased through metallic Au leads. We derive a stationary non equilibrium polaronic theory in the general framework of a variational formulation. The numerical procedure we propose can be readily applied if the electron-phonon interaction in the device hamiltonian can be approximated as an effective single particle electron hamiltonian. Using this approach, we predict that finite polyyne chains should manifest an insulator-metal transition driven by the non-equilibrium charging which inhibits the Peierls instability characterizing the equilibrium state.     

Three-dimensional antiferromagnetic ordering in the light rare-earth high-T c superconductor NdBa2Cu3O6.86

Powder neutron diffraction investigations performed in the temperature range from 20 mK to 300K prove that the magnetic Nd moments of the superconductor NdBa₂Cu₃O_6.86 withT _c=88 K order three-dimensionally (3D) antiferromagnetic belowT _N=(551±10) mK. As in similar Gd and Dy compounds the corresponding wave vector isk=[1/2, 1/2, 1/2]. In approximate agreement with crystal field calculations the ordered magnetic moment of Nd amounts at saturation to (1.14±0.06) _B and at 25 mK the magnetic moments are oriented parallel [0,0,1]. The transition to the magnetically ordered state corresponds to the Landau type critical exponent 0.5, in contrast to the predominant 2D character of such heavy rare-earth systems. The crystal structure of NdBa₂Cu₃O_6.86 is orthorhombic similar to the one of YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x.     

Electronic and magnetic properties of the high-T c superconductor EuBa2Cu3O x

Electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility show that single phase EuBa₂Cu₃O _x becomes superconducting at 94 K. Magnetization and magnetoresistivity yield a lower critical field of H_c1500 G and a variation ofT _c with magnetic field of dT _c /dH1 K/T. The high temperature resistivity shows that at about 700 K due to oxygen loss the sample is driven into a semiconducting state, in which the superconductivity is destroyed. The normal state magnetic susceptibility measured in the superconducting and in the oxygen degased, semiconducting sample indicates that the sample is paramagnetic in the normal state. This paramagnetism is larger than the one expected for trivalent Eu and therefore has to be attributed in part to a magnetic moment on Cu. Eu is found to be stable trivalent between 300 and 4.2 K through Mößbauer-spectroscopy.     

Theory of high-T c superconductivity based on the fermion-condensation quantum phase transition

A theory of high-temperature superconductivity based on the combination of the fermion-condensation quantum phase transition and the conventional theory of superconductivity is presented. This theory describes maximum values of the superconducting gap, which can be as big as Δ₁～0.1ε _F , with ε _F being the Fermi level. We show that the critical temperature 2T _c ?Δ₁. If the pseudogap exists above T _c , then 2T*?Δ₁ and T* is the temperature at which the pseudogap vanishes. A discontinuity in the specific heat at T _c is calculated. The transition from conventional superconductors to high-T _c ones as a function of the doping level is investigated. The single-particle excitations and their lineshape are also considered     

Strained orthogonal twinning texture in the high-T c superconductor Ba2HoCu3O7−x

Two types of twinning texture involving four crystal orientations have been observed by transmission electron microscopy. The first type can be interpreted by a two-stage genetic model. A coarse twin is formed in the first stage and subsequently fine twin lamellae with 30 nm average width are formed in each of the two twin individuals. In the second type, two sets of twin lamellae merge nearly at a right angle, formingL-shaped andT-shaped regions. Each of these regions contains areas having two lattice orientations which differ by about 1° and by 2° in the extreme case, but the two lattices are coherently connected. The lattice planes at the junction of anL-shaped or aT-shaped region are bent continuously. There are two kinds ofL-shaped regions having different average widths of 30 nm and 60 nm, respectively. The lamellae averaging 30 nm in width form a network of lamellae.     

Laser-induced surface reduction of the high-T c superconductor YBa2Cu3O7−x

The first investigations on the laser-induced reduction of YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x are presented. Here, the oxygen content of the material is diminished by local heating under cw Kr⁺ laser irradiation in H₂ atmosphere. The technique permits the superconducting properties of the material to be locally changed or destroyed. Laser-induced surface metallization may be useful for the electroding of such materials.     

Negative U centers, percolation, and the insulator-metal transition in high-T c superconductors

The mechanism of formation of ?U centers in high-T _c superconductors (HTSCs) is considered. It is shown that the transition from the insulator to the metallic state on doping passes through a certain range of dopant concentrations in which it becomes possible for local transitions of singlet electron pairs to occur from oxygen ions to two neighboring cations (a ?U center), while single-electron transitions are still forbidden. Conduction arises in such systems at a concentration of ?U centers exceeding the percolation threshold for the orbitals of singlet hole pairs. A phase diagram constructed on the basis of the proposed model for the HTSC compounds of the Ln-214 class is in complete agreement with experiment. The mechanisms of formation and relaxation of free hole carriers are considered. It is shown that a distinctive feature of the normal state of HTSCs is the dominant contribution of electron-electron scattering to the charge carrier relaxation processes. It is concluded from the analysis presented that HTSCs comprise a special class of solids in which a nonstandard mechanism of superconductivity, different from the BCS mechanism, is realized.