No Arabic abstract
Infrared reflectivity measurements, using p-polarized light at a grazing angle of incidence, show an increased sensitivity to the optical conductivity of highly reflecting superconducting materials. We demonstrate that when this measurement technique is applied to the conventional s-wave superconductor NbN, the results are in perfect agreement with BCS theory. For the in-plane response of a La$_{1.85}$Sr$_{0.15}$CuO$_4$ single crystal, in the superconducting state, we find a reduction of the optical conductivity in the frequency range below 20 meV. The observed frequency dependence excludes an isotropic s-wave gap, but agrees well with model calculations assuming a d-wave order parameter.
We study superconducting properties in multilayer thin films consisting of superconducting La$_{1.85}$Sr$_{0.15}$CuO$_4$ (LSCO) and Mott insulator Sr$_2$IrO$_4$ (SIO) and report enhanced superconductivity in optimized sample. These multilayer heterostructures show an increase in superconducting transition temperature ($T_C$) as compared to the single layer LSCO films. The temperature dependence of SIO single layer is also investigated under thermal activation, Arrhenius-type behaviour, and variable-range hopping mechanisms for different temperature regimes. The decrease in $T_C$ beyond an optimum thickness of LSCO in these multilayers is analyzed in the framework of a model based on the assumption of induced superconductivity in SIO-LSCO interface due to the doping of La and/or oxygen deficiencies into SIO layers
Scanning nano-focused X-ray diffraction (nXRD) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) are used to investigate the crystal structure of ramp-edge junctions between superconducting electron-doped Nd$_text{1.85}$Ce$_text{0.15}$CuO$_text{4}$ and superconducting hole-doped La$_text{1.85}$Sr$_text{0.15}$CuO$_text{4}$ thin films, the latter being the top layer. On the ramp, a new growth mode of La$_text{1.85}$Sr$_text{0.15}$CuO$_text{4}$ with a 3.3 degree tilt of the c-axis is found. We explain the tilt by developing a strain accommodation model that relies on facet matching, dictated by the ramp angle, indicating that a coherent domain boundary is formed at the interface. The possible implications of this growth mode for the creation of artificial domains in morphotropic materials are discussed.
Impurity effects of Zn and Ni on the low-energy spin excitations were systematically studied in optimally doped La1.85Sr0.15Cu1-yAyO4 (A=Zn, Ni) by neutron scattering. Impurity-free La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 shows a spin gap of 4meV below Tc in the antiferromagnetic(AF) incommensurate spin excitation. In Zn:y=0.004, the spin excitation shows a spin gap of 3meV below Tc. In Zn:y=0.008 and Zn:y=0.011, however, the magnetic signals at 3meV decrease below Tc and increase again at lower temperature, indicating an in-gap state. In Zn:y=0.017, the low-energy spin state remains unchanged with decreasing temperature, and elastic magnetic peaks appear below 20K then exponentially increase. As for Ni:y=0.009 and Ni:y=0.018, the low-energy excitations below 3meV and 2meV disappear below Tc. The temperature dependence at 3meV, however, shows no upturn in constrast with Zn:y=0.008 and Zn:y=0.011, indicating the absence of in-gap state. In Ni:y=0.029, the magnetic signals were observed also at 0meV. Thus the spin gap closes with increasing Ni. Furthermore, as omega increases, the magnetic peak width broadens and the peak position, i.e. incommensurability, shifts toward the magnetic zone center (pi pi). We interpret the impurity effects as follows: Zn locally makes a non-superconducting island exhibiting the in-gap state in the superconducting sea with the spin gap. Zn reduces the superconducting volume fraction, thus suppressing Tc. On the other hand, Ni primarily affects the superconducting sea, and the spin excitations become more dispersive and broaden with increasing energy, which is recognized as a consequence of the reduction of energy scale of spin excitations. We believe that the reduction of energy scale is relevant to the suppression of Tc.
The dispersion of the high-energy phonon modes in the electron doped high-temperature superconductor Nd$_{1.85}$Ce$_{0.15}$CuO$_4$ has been studied by inelastic neutron scattering. The frequencies of phonon modes with Cu-O bond-stretching character drop abruptly when going from the Brillouin zone center along the [100]-direction; this dispersion is qualitatively similar to observations in the hole-doped cuprates. We also find a softening of the bond-stretching modes along the [110]-direction but which is weaker and exhibits a sinusoidal dispersion. The phonon anomalies are discussed in comparison to hole-doped cuprate superconductors and other metallic perovskites.
Local lattice structures of La$_{1.85}$Sr$_{0.15}$Cu$_{1-x}$M$_x$O$_4$ (M=Mn, Ni, and Co) single crystals are investigated by polarized extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS). The local lattice instability at low temperature is described by in-plane Cu-O bond splitting. We find that substitution of Mn for Cu causes little perturbation of local lattice instability while Ni and Co substitution strongly suppresses the instability. The suppression of superconductivity by Cu-site substitution is related to the perturbation of lattice instability, indicating that local lattice instability (polaron) plays an important role in superconductivity.