Oxygen Isotope Effect and Structural Phase Transitions in La2CuO4-Based Superconductors

The oxygen isotope effect on the superconducting transition temperature (alpha(o)) varies as a function of x in La2-xSrxCuO(4) and La2-xBaxCuO(4), with the maximum alpha(o) values (alpha(o) >/= 0.5) found for x near 0.12. This unusual x dependence implies that the isotope effect is influenced by proximity to the Abma --> P4(2)/ncm structural phase transition in these systems. Synchrotron x-ray difaction measurements reveal little change in lattice parameters or orthorhombicity due to isotope exchange in strontium-doped materials where alpha(o) > 0.5, eliminating static structural distortion as a cause of the large isotope effects. The anomalous behavior of alpha(o) in both strontium- and barium-doped materials, in combination with the previously discovered Abma --> P4(2)/ncm structural phase-transition in La(1.88)B(0.12)CuO(4), suggests that an electronic contribution to the lattice instability is present and maximizes at approximately 1/8 hole per copper atom. These observations indicate a dose connection between hole doping of the Cu-O sheets, tilting instabilities of the CuO(6) octahedra, and superconductivity in La(2)CuO(4)-based superconductors.     

Superconductivity at 40 K in the Oxygen-Defect Perovskites La2-xSrxCuO4-y

Structural, magnetic, and electronic properties of compounds in the series La2-xSrx CuO4-y for 0.05 相似文献   

A New High-Temperature Superconductor: Bi2Sr3-x Cax Cu2O8+y

A new superconductor that displays onset behavior near 120 K has been identified as Bi(2)Sr(3-x)Ca(x)Cu(2)O(8+y), with x ranging from about 0.4 to 0.9. Single crystal x-ray diffraction data were used to determine a pseudo-tetragonal structure based on an A-centered orthorhombic subcell with a = 5.399 A, b= 5.414A, and c = 30.904 A. The structure contains copper-oxygen sheets as in La(2)CuO(4) and YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7), but the copper-oxygen chains present in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) do not occur in Bi(2)Sr(3-x)Ca(x)Cu(2)O(8+y). The structure is made up of alternating double copper-oxygen sheets and double bismuth-oxygen sheets. There are Ca(2+) and Sr(2+) cations between the adjacent Cu-O sheets; Sr(2+) cations are also found between the Cu-O and Bi-O sheets. Electron microscopy studies show an incommensurate superstructure along the a axis that can be approximated by an increase of a factor of 5 over the subcell dimension. This superstructure is also observed by x-ray diffraction on single crystals, but twinning can make it appear that the superstructure is along both a and b axes. Flux exclusion begins in our samples at about 116 K and is very strong by 95 K. Electrical measurements on a single crystal of Bi(2)Sr(3-x)Ca(x)Cu(2)O(8+y) show a resistivity drop at about 116 K and apparent zero resistivity at 91 K.     

Observation of d(x2-y2)-like superconducting gap in an electron-doped high-temperature superconductor

High-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of the electron-doped high-temperature superconductor Nd(2-x)Ce(x)CuO4 (x = 0.15, transition temperature T(c) = 22 K) has found the quasiparticle signature as well as the anisotropic d(x2-y2)-like superconducting gap. The spectral line shape at the superconducting state shows a strong anisotropic nature of the many-body interaction. The result suggests that the electron-hole symmetry is present in the high-temperature superconductors.     

Superconductivity in Alkaline Earth-Substituted La2CuO4-y

La(2)CuO4-y ceramics containing a few percent of Ca(2+), Sr(2+), and Ba(2+) ions have been prepared. Resistivity and susceptibility measurements exhibit superconductive onsets (as in earlier Ba(2+)-containing samples). The onset temperature La(2)CuO4-y with Sr(2+) is higher and its superconductivity-induced diamagnetism larger than that found with Ba(2+) and Ca(2+). This is proof that the electronic change resulting from alkaline earthdoping, rather than the size effect, is responsible for superconductivity. The ionic radius of Sr(2+) is close to that of La(3+) for which it presumably substitutes.     

The spin excitation spectrum in superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6.85)

A comprehensive inelastic neutron scattering study of magnetic excitations in the near optimally doped high-temperature superconductor YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6.85) is presented. The spin correlations in the normal state are commensurate with the crystal lattice, and the intensity is peaked around the wave vector characterizing the antiferromagnetic state of the insulating precursor, YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6). Profound modifications of the spin excitation spectrum appear abruptly below the superconducting transition temperature T(c), where a commensurate resonant mode and a set of weaker incommensurate peaks develop. The data are consistent with models that are based on an underlying two-dimensional Fermi surface, predicting a continuous, downward dispersion relation connecting the resonant mode and the incommensurate excitations. The magnetic incommensurability in the YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6+)(x) system is thus not simply related to that of another high-temperature superconductor, La(2-)(x)Sr(x)CuO(4), where incommensurate peaks persist well above T(c). The temperature-dependent incommensurability is difficult to reconcile with interpretations based on charge stripe formation in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6+x) near optimum doping.     

Hot Plasma and Energetic Particles in Neptune's Magnetosphere

The low-energy charged particle (LECP) instrument on Voyager 2 measured within the magnetosphere of Neptune energetic electrons (22 kiloelectron volts /=0.5 MeV per nucleon) energies, using an array of solid-state detectors in various configurations. The results obtained so far may be summarized as follows: (i) A variety of intensity, spectral, and anisotropy features suggest that the satellite Triton is important in controlling the outer regions of the Neptunian magnetosphere. These features include the absence of higher energy (>/=150 keV) ions or electrons outside 14.4 R(N) (where R(N) = radius of Neptune), a relative peak in the spectral index of low-energy electrons at Triton's radial distance, and a change of the proton spectrum from a power law with gamma >/= 3.8 outside, to a hot Maxwellian (kT [unknown] 55 keV) inside the satellite's orbit. (ii) Intensities decrease sharply at all energies near the time of closest approach, the decreases being most extended in time at the highest energies, reminiscent of a spacecraft's traversal of Earth's polar regions at low altitudes; simultaneously, several spikes of spectrally soft electrons and protons were seen (power input approximately 5 x 10(-4) ergs cm(-2) s(-1)) suggestive of auroral processes at Neptune. (iii) Composition measurements revealed the presence of H, H(2), and He(4), with relative abundances of 1300:1:0.1, suggesting a Neptunian ionospheric source for the trapped particle population. (iv) Plasma pressures at E >/= 28 keV are maximum at the magnetic equator with beta approximately 0.2, suggestive of a relatively empty magnetosphere, similar to that of Uranus. (v) A potential signature of satellite 1989N1 was seen, both inbound and outbound; other possible signatures of the moons and rings are evident in the data but cannot be positively identified in the absence of an accurate magnetic-field model close to the planet. Other results indude the absence of upstream ion increases or energetic neutrals [particle intensity (j) < 2.8 x 10(-3) cm(-2) s(-1) keV(-1) near 35 keV, at approximately 40 R(N)] implying an upper limit to the volume-averaged atomic H density at R 22 keV) input on Neptune is approximately 3 x 10(7) W, surprisingly small when compared to energy input into the atmosphere of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus.     

Superconducting and Magnetic Behavior in La2-xNaxCuO4

New phases of the type La2-xAx(l+)CUO4-y have been prepared where A(l+) is sodium or potassium. The sodium phases are superconducting for x values from 0.2 to 0.5 at temperatures up to about 40 K. In addition, there are unusual magnetic properties below about 10 K that may be indicative of spin glass behavior. Phases of the type La2-xKxCuO4-y could only be prepared with x values up to about 0.1, and these phases are not superconducting above 4.2 K.     

A structural probe of the doped holes in cuprate superconductors

An unresolved issue concerning cuprate superconductors is whether the distribution of carriers in the CuO2 plane is uniform or inhomogeneous. Because the carriers comprise a small fraction of the total charge density and may be rapidly fluctuating, modulations are difficult to detect directly. We demonstrate that in anomalous x-ray scattering at the oxygen K edge of the cuprates, the contribution of carriers to the scattering amplitude is selectively magnified 82 times. This enhances diffraction from the doped holes by more than 10(3), permitting direct structural analysis of the superconducting ground state. Scattering from thin films of La2CuO4+delta (superconducting transition temperature = 39 K) at temperature = 50 +/- 5 kelvin on the reciprocal space intervals (0,0,0.21) --> (0,0,1.21) and (0,0,0.6) --> (0.3,0,0.6) shows a rounding of the carrier density near the substrate suggestive of a depletion zone or similar effect. The structure factor for off-specular scattering was less than 3 x 10(-7) electrons, suggesting an absence of in-plane hole ordering in this material.     

Spins in the vortices of a high-temperature superconductor

Neutron scattering is used to characterize the magnetism of the vortices for the optimally doped high-temperature superconductor La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO4 (x = 0.163) in an applied magnetic field. As temperature is reduced, low-frequency spin fluctuations first disappear with the loss of vortex mobility, but then reappear. We find that the vortex state can be regarded as an inhomogeneous mixture of a superconducting spin fluid and a material containing a nearly ordered antiferromagnet. These experiments show that as for many other properties of cuprate superconductors, the important underlying microscopic forces are magnetic.     

The oaxaca, Mexico, earthquake of 29 november 1978: a preliminary report on aftershocks

Aftershocks of the 29 November 1978 Oaxaca, Mexico, earthquake (surface-wave magnitude Ms = 7.8) define a rupture area of about 6000 square kilometers along the boundary of the Cocos sea-plate subduction. This area had not ruptured in a large (Ms >/= 7), shallow earthquake since the years 1928 and 1931 and had been designated a seismic "gap." The region has also been seismically quiet for small to moderate (M >/= 4), shallow (depth 相似文献   

Reaction of plutonium dioxide with water: formation and properties of PuO(2+x)

Results show that PuO(2+x), a high-composition (x 相似文献   

c-axis electrodynamics as evidence for the interlayer theory of high-temperature superconductivity

In the interlayer theory of high-temperature superconductivity, the interlayer pair tunneling energy (similar to the Josephson or Lawrence-Doniach energy) is the motivation for superconductivity. This connection requires two experimentally verifiable identities: the coherent normal-state conductance must be smaller than the "Josephson" coupling energy, and the Josephson coupling energy must be equal to the condensation energy of the superconductor. The first condition is well satisfied in the only case that is relevant, (La, Sr)2CuO4, but the second condition has been questioned. It is satisfied for all dopings in (La,Sr)2CuO4 and also in optimally doped Hg(Ba)2CuO5, which was measured recently, but seems to be strongly violated in measurements on single crystals of Tl2Ba2CuO6.     

Epitaxial cuprate superconductor/ferroelectric heterostructures

Thin-film heterostructures of Bi(4)Ti(3)O(12)Bi(2)Sr(2)CuO(6+x), have been grown on single crystals of SrTiO(3), LaAlO(3), and MgAl(2)O(4) by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction studies show the presence of c-axis orientation only; Rutherford backscattering experiments show the composition to be close to the nominal stoichiometry. The films are ferroelectric and exhibit a symmetric hysteresis loop. The remanent polarization was 1.0 microcoulomb per square centimeter, and the coercive field was 2.0 x 10(5) volts per centimeter. Similar results were obtained with YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-x) and Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+x), and single-crystal Bi(2)Sr(2)CuO(6+x)as the bottom electrodes. These films look promising for use as novel, lattice-matched, epitaxial ferroelectric film/electrode heterostructures in nonvolatile memory applications.     

Imaging doped holes in a cuprate superconductor with high-resolution Compton scattering

The high-temperature superconducting cuprate La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) (LSCO) shows several phases ranging from antiferromagnetic insulator to metal with increasing hole doping. To understand how the nature of the hole state evolves with doping, we have carried out high-resolution Compton scattering measurements at room temperature together with first-principles electronic structure computations on a series of LSCO single crystals in which the hole doping level varies from the underdoped (UD) to the overdoped (OD) regime. Holes in the UD system are found to primarily populate the O 2p(x)/p(y) orbitals. In contrast, the character of holes in the OD system is very different in that these holes mostly enter Cu d orbitals. High-resolution Compton scattering provides a bulk-sensitive method for imaging the orbital character of dopants in complex materials.     

Secular variations in the abundances of heavy nuclei in cosmic rays

The ratios of fluxes of heavy cosmic-ray nuclei [(30 相似文献   

Atomic-Scale Images of the Growth Surface of Ca1-xSrxCuO2 Thin Films

The surface microstructure of c-axis (Ca,Sr)CuO(2) thin films, grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy on SrTiO(3)(001) substrates, was studied by ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Images were obtained for codeposited Ca1-xSrxCuO(2) thin films, which show a layered-type growth mode. The surfaces consist of atomically flat terraces separated by steps that are one unit cell high. A pronounced dependence of the growth mechanism on the Sr/Ca ratio of the films was observed. Atomic resolution STM images of the CuO(2) sheets in the ab plane show a square lattice with an in-plane spacing of 4 angstroms; the lattice contains different concentrations of point defects, depending on the polarity of the sample-tip bias.     

Oxygen isotope effect in high-temperature oxide superconductors

The effect of oxygen isotope substitution on the superconducting transition temperature, T(c), has been measured for BaBi(0.25)Pb(0.75)O(3) (T(c), approximately 11 K) and Lal(1.85) Ca(0.15)CuO(4) (T(c) approximately 20 K), and is compared to the shifts observed for La(1.85)Sr(0.15)CuO(4) (T(c) approximately 37 K) and YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) (T(c) approximately 92 K). For all four materials, the transition temperature is shifted to lower temperature upon substitution of oxygen-18 for oxygen-16. The observed shifts demonstrate that phonons are involved in the electron-pairing mechanism in these oxide superconductors.     

The magnon pairing mechanism of superconductivity in cuprate ceramics

The magnon pairing mechanism is derived to explain the high-temperature superconductivity of both the La2-xSrxCu(1)O(4) and Y(1)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(7) systems. Critical features include (i) a one- or two-dimensional lattice of linear Cu-O-Cu bonds that contribute to large antiferromagnetic (superexchange) coupling of the Cu(II)(d(9)) orbitals; (ii) holes in the oxygen ppi bands [rather than Cu(III)(d(8))] leading to high mobility hole conduction; and (iii) strong ferromagnetic coupling between oxygen ppi holes and adjacent Cu(II)(d(9)) electrons. The ferromagnetic coupling of the conduction electrons with copper d spins induces the attractive interaction responsible for the superconductivity, leading to triplet-coupled pairs called "tripgems." The disordered Heisenberg lattice of antiferromagnetically coupled copper d spins serves a role analogous to the phonons in a conventional system. This leads to a maximum transition temperature of about 200 K. For La(1.85)Sr(0.15)Cu(1)O(4), the energy gap is in excellent agreement with experiment. For Y(1)Ba(2)Cu(3)O(7), we find that both the CuO sheets and the CuO chains can contribute to the supercurrent.     

Superconductivity at 52.5 k in the lanthanum-barium-copper-oxide system

A superconducting transition with an onset temperature of 52.5 K has been observed under hydrostatic pressure in compounds with nominal compositions given by (La(0.9)Ba(0.1))(2) CuO4-Y. Possible causes for the high-temperature superconductivity are discussed.