On the suppression of superconductivity in ErBa2Cu3Ox

Powder samples of ErBa₂Cu₃O_x prepared by a desorption-absorption procedure were studied by susceptibility and neutron-diffraction experiments for variousx(6x7). The suppression of superconductivity does not coincide with the orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transition, but with a significant charge redistribution between the Cu–O chains and planes. Upon oxygen removal, asT_c(x)O, step-like anomalies are observed in some bonding lengths and atomic distances, which support an all-electronic mechanism for the oxide superconductivity.