On the Possibility of s+d Wave Superconductivity Within a Two-Band Scenario for High T c Cuprates

A variety of different experimental results show substantial evidence that the order parameter in high-temperature superconducting copper oxides is not of pure d-wave symmetry, but that an s-wave component exists, which especially shows up in experiments that test the c-axis properties. These findings are modeled theoretically within a two-band model with interband interactions, where the superconducting order parameters in the two bands are allowed to differ in symmetry. It is found that the coupling of order parameters with different symmetries (s+d) leads to substantial enhancements of the superconducting transition temperature T _c as compared to order parameters with only s-wave symmetry. An additional enhancement factor of T _c is obtained from the coupling of the bands to the lattice where moderate couplings favor superconductivity while too strong couplings lead to electron (hole) localization and consequently suppress superconductivity.     

Reduced-Gap Ratio of High-Tc Cuprates Within the d-Wave Two-Dimensional Van Hove Scenario

The gap-to-T _c ratio (R) of high-temperature superconductors is calculated in the context of d symmetry of the superconducting order parameter and a two-dimensional Van Hove singularity in the density of states, using the BCS theory for weak coupling. Exact numerical calculation and an analytic formula for R are given. The ratios are found to be substantially larger than the BCS weak coupling limit of 3.53. The overall dependence of R on _D /T _c, where _D is the cutoff frequency, is given.     

Hole Doping and Inhomogeneous Charge Distribution in High Tc Cuprates Investigated from First Principles

To understand the link between doping and electronic properties in the high-temperature superconductors, we have performed first-principles calculations for several representatives of high T _c compounds. In the single-layer cuprate HgBa₂CuO₄ the excess oxygen attracts electrons from the CuO₂ plane leading to an increase of the hole concentration in this building block, where the maximum amount of holes is reached when the dopant oxygen shell is closed. The usage of supercells allows to study the inhomogeneous charge distribution as a function of doping, i.e. from the underdoped up to the overdoped regime. Comparison is made with other compounds like Ba-doped La₂CuO₄ and oxygen-deficient YBa₂Cu₃O_7–x . The effects of our findings on superconductivity are discussed.     

Thermal model for the bolometric response of high Tc superconducting films to optical pulses

The voltage response of thin-film high T_c superconductors to electromagnetic radiation is the basis for highly promising optical detectors. Experiments with laser pulses have created a controversy over whether the observed responses are due to a thermal mechanism or caused by a non-equilibrium process. In part, this controversy was caused by inadequate thermal modelling of the bolometric response. The present study applies a rigorous thermal radiation and heat conduction analysis to a high T_c film irradiated by an optical pulse and compares the predicted bolometric voltage response to experimental data. Based on the assumption of thermal boundary resistance between film and substrate as predicted by acoustic mismatch theory, the calculated temperature increase for 200 ns pulses is not sufficient to account for the observed voltage response when the initial film temperature is well below the transition temperature.     

Effect of Incommensurate Charge-Density Wave Scattering on the Electronic Structure of High-Tc Cuprates

We argue that the collective mode as observed in angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on a large class of cuprates can be associated with dynamic incommensurate CDW fluctuations present in these materials. This scenario is substantiated by a comparison of calculated spectra with experimental ARPES data where we obtain a mode frequency which decreases towards optimal doping thus strongly supporting the existence of a quantum critical point around this concentration. Moreover we extract the temperature dependence of the associated bosonic spectrum from ARPES data where it turns out that there is a continuous evolution from mode-type behavior below T _c to a marginal Fermi liquid structure well above T _c.     

The Gap-to- Tc Ratio of a van Hove Superconductor

We give an analytical expression for the gap-to-T _c ratio (R) of a superconductor with a van Hove singularity in the density of states. Our calculation yields R in very good agreement with the results obtained numerically by S. Ratanaburi et al. [J. Supercond. 9, 485 (1996)].     

Influence of Structural Anisotropy on the Irreversibility Line of High-Tc Cuprates

From zero-field-cooled and field-cooled magnetic response, we have determined the irreversibility lines for a number of high-T _c oxides, viz., La(Sr)-214, Nd-223, Dy(Tb)-124, (Tl, Pb)-1212, and Tl-11112, in the H–T plane, which fit the relation H=A(1 –T/T _c ) ⁿ . Our results are consistent with a correlation between the anisotropy of the structure and the value of n, is in agreement with the Josephson decoupling model [1].     

A Possible Explanation of Critical Temperature and Isotope Effect Coefficient of High Tc Cuprate Superconductors

The expressions for superconducting transition temperature (T _c) and isotope effect coefficient () have been derived from a generalized integral gap equation for a strongly coupled superconductor, when electrons–phonons and electrons–biexcitons are simultaneously present in high-T _c cuprate superconductors.     

Methods of Extracting Current Density Dependence of the Effective Activation Energy Ueff(J) in High Tc Superconductors

We have reviewed the methods of extracting current density dependence of the effective activation energy U_eff(J) from experimental data, including transport measurements and magnetic relaxations. Then we applied the method proposed by Maley etc. on our single-phase HgBaCaCuO-1223 sample to obtain the effective activation energy. The effective activation energy U_eff(J, H = 1~T) is extracted from the magnetization relaxation data. On the other hand, U_eff(J) can be theoretically estimated for the model of a sinusoidal washboard potential in superconductors. By comparing the two results we believe that the single curve obtained in the former way can be seen as real current density dependence of effective activation energy U_eff(J). In addition, we have analyzed the reasons why the magnetic decay data at various temperatures can be scaled onto a single curve. The pinning mechanism in the measured temperature range does not change, and the activation energy depends separately on the three variables: T, B, and J are thought as two important factors for this. In the temperature close to zero and near T_c, thermally assisted flux motion would no longer valid since other processes predominate.     

Influence of a Finite Tc on Enhanced Superconductivity Near the Metal/Insulator Transition

We adapted the BCS equation for T _c so that it applies to disordered conductors near the metal/insulator transition (MIT). The resulting expression for T _c as a function of the conductivity accounted quite well for several disparate classes of superconducting materials near the MIT [disordered metals, oxide conductors (including high-T _c superconductors), semiconducting materials, organic conductors, and C₆₀]. This function, however, was applicable only to situations for which T _c was zero in the pure limit—which was the case for the data chosen. This paper extends the model to the nonzero case and compares the predictions to the appropriate data.     

Tc as a Function of Electron Doping in Mg10B2 Using Sc for Mg Substitution

We have studied the variation of superconducting critical temperature T _c as a function of electron doping in the Mg¹⁰B₂ system using Sc for Mg substitution. The critical temperature in the¹⁰B isotope substituted system Mg_{1− x} Sc _x ¹⁰B₂ increases by increasing the scandium content x in the range 0<x<0.012 up to 41.4 K, while the T _c of the natural boron system Mg_{1− x} Sc _x B₂ is nearly constant. The overall difference of T _c in Mg_{1− x} Sc _x B₂ as function of x between the natural B and ¹⁰B isotope system seems to indicate that the isotope effect shows large variations with electron doping as expected for the T _c enhancement driven by a shape resonance.     

The Paramagnetism Carried by Paramagnetic Ions and its Effect on the Superconductivity in High TC Superconductors

Extended Brillouin function with a revision is applied to describe the paramagnetism carried by the rare-earth Gd^{3 +} ions in GdBa₂Cu₃O₆₊ and the Re²⁺ ions in (Hg_0.9Re_0.1)Ba₂Ca₂Cu₃O_g+. We believe that the paramagnetism depends on the internal flux density of the sample instead of the applied field. At the field below H_cl the paramagnetism has no contribution to total magnetization; at the field over H_cl the paramagnetic magnetization has different values when in field-increasing and field-decreasing process. The width of the magnetization hysteresis loop M is broadened by the paramagnetism. The effect of the paramagnetism due to paramagnetic ions on the magnetization relaxation rate and the magnetization critical-current density J_c based on the Bean critical-state model is also discussed. The temperature dependence of the paramagnetism is shown in this paper.     

Energy Scales in the High-Tc Superconductor YBa2Cu3O6+x

The optical conductivity sum rule is used to examine the evolution of the spectral weight N() in both the normal and superconducting states of optimally and underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x along the a axis. Differences in N() above and below T _c allow the strength of the superconducting condensate _s to be determined. In the optimally-doped material, _s is fully formed at energies comparable to the full superconducting gap maximum (0.1 eV), while in the underdoped material the energy scale for convergence is considerably higher (0.6 eV). This difference is discussed in terms of normal-state properties.     

Structure and Superconductivity of the Y4Ba8Cu12O27 Nanosuperconductor

A nanosuperconductor was prepared and characterized in the present work. The nanosuperconductor consisted of nanocrystals with superconducting transition temperature, T _c, of 88 K. Dimension of the nanocrystals is dozens nm in diameter and hundreds nm in length. The compound of the nanocrystals has a formula of Y₄Ba₈Cu₁₂O₂₇. The structure of the nanocrystals was found to be an orthorhombic perovskite, and the lattice constants were determined as a = 7.634 Å, b = 7.758 Å, and c = 11.654 Å, respectively.     

Implications of Tc-Variation in UBe13 for a Possible Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov Phase

We measure the heat capacity of a UBe₁₃ sample with an unusually low T _c for a polycrystal. We find an upturn in the upper critical field H _c2(T) below about T _c/2, much as for higher-T _c samples. Comparing the critical fields in our sample and in samples with higher T _c's shows that the low temperature limit of H _c2 is proportional to T _c(H = 0), as expected if the upturn comes from an FFLO phase and strong coupling.     

Invariant formulation of the strain dependence of the critical temperature Tc of Nb3Sn in a three term approximation

It has been shown previously in a full detailed analysis that the strain dependence of the critical temperature may be obtained from a general strain invariant formulation of T_c in strong superconductivity. A physical model was presented in which the phonon frequency spectrum is represented through generalized elastic stiffness coefficients that include strain dependence. The primary purpose of the present work is to achieve a simplification of the analysis in order to facilitate calculation and reveal the essential physical content. The formulation in wave vector space of the equations for T_c in strong superconductivity is reviewed. The method of simplification employs a succession of approximations to the effective elastic constants that enter the relation between phonon frequency and wave number. It is found that the effective elastic constants in the crystal symmetry directions may be grouped into sets having similar form, and this form includes terms in common among the sets and difference terms. The difference terms are found to be in the nature of gradients and may be eliminated to good approximation. The common terms include the strain dependence in a form identified as a deformation strain parameter. The analysis treats spherical (hydrostatic) and deformation strain dependence under longitudinal and transverse applied strain for wire and tape conductor. The analysis is applicable over a full range of applied strain, including small strains often described by a power law strain dependence, and larger strains often described by a deviatoric strain approach. A comparison is provided between the results of the full detailed analysis and the results of the approximate treatment showing the degree of agreement in the various applied strain orientations.     

Theory of nuclear spin relaxation in a two-dimensional disordered HTcS in the normal state

The nuclear spin relaxation rateT ₁ ^–1 is calculated for a disordered two dimensional highcritical temperature superconductor taking into consideration the inelastic scattering of the electrons on the impurities. The deviation from the Korringa law of the formT ₁ ^–1 =AT+ B has been obtained if the quantum correction to the transport is dominated by the magnetic correlations.     

The BCS Gap equation within the van Hove scenario of high-Tc superconductivity

We give an analytical approximation for the BCS Gap equation of an extended van Hove singularity. This model explains the high transition temperature T_c and the low isotope exponents for small coupling parametersN ₀V.     

Influence of Long-Range Coulomb Interaction and On-Site Hubbard Repulsion on the Formation of d-Wave Copper-Pairing in High-Tc Cuprates

We develop a diagram technique for the self-consistent treatment of the long-range Coulomb interaction and on-site Hubbard repulsion in the normal and superconducting state of high-T _c cuprates. The resultant analytical expression for the screened matrix elements taking into account long-range and on-site repulsion has been derived. In particular, it accounts for processes with and without spin-flip due to an exchange of spin and charge density fluctuations. Furthermore, we derive the expressions for the normal and anomalous self-energy parts near the superconducting transition temperature T _c that takes into account the vertex corrections including crossing diagrams. The contribution of the crossing parts is taken within the ladder approximation (similar to Fluctuation-Exchange approximation) where the role of Hubbard on-site interaction is replaced by the Coulomb matrix element with a spin-flip averaged over the momentum. Finally, the developed scheme allows to analyze the formation of d-wave superconductivity and its stability in presence of the long-range Coulomb repulsion within a self-consistent anisotropic Eliashberg-like approach.