No Arabic abstract
Raman studies on Ca4Al2O5.7Fe2As2 superconductor in the temperature range of 5 K to 300 K, covering the superconducting transition temperature Tc ~ 28.3 K, reveal that the Raman mode at ~ 230 cm-1 shows a sharp jump in frequency by ~ 2 % and linewidth increases by ~ 175 % at To ~ 60 K. Below To, anomalous softening of the mode frequency and a large decrease by ~ 10 cm-1 in the linewidth is observed. These precursor effects at T0 (~ 2Tc) are attributed to significant superconducting fluctuations, possibly enhanced due to reduced dimensionality arising from weaked coupling between the well separated (~ 15 {AA}) Fe-As layers in the unit cell. A large blue-shift of the mode frequency between 300 K to 60 K (~7%) indicates strong spin-phonon coupling in this superconductor.
We express the superconducting gap, $Delta(T)$, in terms of thermodynamic functions in both $s$- and d-wave symmetries. Applying to Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+delta}$ and Y$_{0.8}$Ca$_{0.2}$Ba$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-delta}$ we find that for all dopings $Delta(T)$ persists, as a partial gap, high above $T_c$ due to strong superconducting fluctuations. Therefore in general two gaps are present above $T_c$, the superconducting gap and the pseudogap, effectively reconciling two highly polarized views concerning pseudogap physics.
Microwave absorption measurements in magnetic fields from zero up to 16 T were used to determine the temperature range of superconducting fluctuations above the superconducting critical temperature T_c in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-delta}. Measurements were performed on deeply underdoped, slightly underdoped, and overdoped single crystals. The temperature range of the superconducting fluctuations above T_c is determined by an experimental method which is free from arbitrary assumptions about subtracting the nonsuperconducting contributions to the total measured signal, and/or theoretical models to extract the unknown parameters. The superconducting fluctuations are detected in the ab-plane, and c-axis conductivity, by identifying the onset temperature T. Within the sensitivity of the method, this fluctuation regime is found only within a fairly narrow region above T_c. Its width increases from 7 K in the overdoped sample (T_c = 89 K), to at most 23 K in the deeply underdoped sample (T_c = 57 K), so that T falls well below the pseudogap temperature T*. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of other experimental probes of superconducting fluctuations in the cuprates.
In this brief report an attempt is made for a mise-a-point of the subject of the phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter above Tc in cuprates, particularly as they appear in underdoped compounds. Measurements of torque magnetometry, Nernst effect and isothermal diamagnetic magnetization curves published in the last years are taken into consideration. Although by different experimental approaches and in different magnetic field ranges it can be stated that vortex-antivortex excitations and phase fluctuations among islands of local non-zero order parameter lacking of long range coherence do occur in a relevant temperature range above Tc, particularly in underdoped compounds. The role of the diamagnetic magnetization curves on approaching Tc from above in opening the field with clear signature is remarked, while enlightening comparison with other approaches appear possible.
Measuring with high precision the electrical resistance of highly ordered natural graphite samples from a Brazil mine, we have identified a transition at $sim$350~K with $sim$40~K transition width. The step-like change in temperature of the resistance, its magnetic irreversibility and time dependence after a field change, consistent with trapped flux and flux creep, and the partial magnetic flux expulsion obtained by magnetization measurements, suggest the existence of granular superconductivity below 350~K. The zero-field virgin state can only be reached again after zero field cooling the sample from above the transition. Paradoxically, the extraordinarily high transition temperature we found for this and several other graphite samples is the reason why this transition remained undetected so far. The existence of well ordered rhombohedral graphite phase in all measured samples has been proved by x-rays diffraction measurements, suggesting its interfaces with the Bernal phase as a possible origin for the high-temperature superconductivity, as theoretical studies predicted. The localization of granular superconductivity at these two dimensional interfaces prevents the observation of a zero resistance state or of a full Meissner state.
The superconducting transition temperature $T_{c}$ of multilayers of electron-doped cuprates, composed of underdoped (or undoped) and overdoped La% $_{2-x}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ (LCCO) and Pr$_{2-x}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ (PCCO) thin films, is found to increase significantly with respect to the $T_{c}$ of the corresponding single-phase films. By investigating the critical current density of superlattices with different doping levels and layer thicknesses, we find that the $T_{c}$ enhancement is caused by a redistribution of charge over an anomalously large distance.