We analyze the hole doping mechanism in Bi_2Sr_{2-x}La_xCuO_{6+δ} (BSLCO). The singular optimum around x=0.35 is found to be connected with a feedback between the doped CuO_2 layers and its dopant reactant [La^{3+}/Bi^{3+}-O_δ] locking the number of doped holes preferentially on to the universal optimum n_opt=0.16.
It was recently demonstrated that the anisotropic phonon heat transport behavior is a good probe of the stripe formation in La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) [X. F. Sun {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 67}, 104503 (2003)]. Using this probe, we examined an electron-doped cuprate Pr_{1.3-x}La_{0.7}Ce_xCuO_4 (PLCCO) and found that essentially the same features as those in LSCO are observed. Moreover, the in-plane resistivity ρ_{ab} of lightly-doped PLCCO shows metallic behavior (dρ_{ab}/dT > 0) in the Néel ordered state with a mobility comparable to that in LSCO. It is discussed that these peculiar propert…
Hall coefficient $R_H$ and thermoelectric power TEP are studied systematically in the single crystals $Nd_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_{4+δ}$ (NCCO) with different x from underdoped to overdoped regime. With increasing doping level, both $R_H$ and TEP decrease and change their sign from negative to positive. A striking feature is that the temperature dependence of the Hall angle follows a $T^4$ behavior in the underdoped regime, while a $T^2$ in the overdoped regime. These behaviors are closely related to the evolution of Fermi surface with doping level observed by ARPES.
From measurements of the magnetic penetration depth, $λ(T)$, from 1.6 K to $T_c$ in films of electron-doped cuprates La$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4-y}$ and Pr$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4-y}$ we obtain the normalized density of states, $N_s(E)$ at T=0 by using a simple model. In this framework, the flat behavior of $λ^{-2}(T)$ at low $T$ implies $N_s(E)$ is small, possibly gapped, at low energies. The upward curvature in $λ^{-2}(T)$ near $T_c$ seen in overdoped films implies that superfluid comes from an anomalously small energy band within about $3k_BT_c$ of the Fermi surface.
High-pressure neutron powder diffraction, muon-spin rotation and magnetization studies of the structural, magnetic and the superconducting properties of the Ce-underdoped superconducting (SC) electron-doped cuprate system T'-Pr_1.3-xLa_0.7Ce_xCuO_4 with x = 0.1 are reported. A strong reduction of the lattice constants a and c is observed under pressure. However, no indication of any pressure induced phase transition from T' to T structure is observed up to the maximum applied pressure of p = 11 GPa. Large and non-linear increase of the short-range magnetic order temperature T_so in T'-Pr_1.3-x…
The Nd-doped cuprate La_{2-y-x}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4 displays a first-order phase transition at T_d (= 74 K for x=0.10, y = 0.60) to a low-temperature tetragonal (LTT) phase. A magnetic field H applied || the a-axis leads to an increase in T_d, whereas T_d is decreased when H || c. These effects show that magnetic ordering involving both Nd and Cu spins plays a key role in driving the LTO-LTT transition. Related anisotropic effects are observed in the uniform susceptibility and the in-plane magnetoresistance.
We present measurements of the magnetic penetration depth, λ^{-2}(T), in Pr_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4-y} and La_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4-y} films at three Ce doping levels, x, near optimal. Optimal and overdoped films are qualitatively and quantitatively different from underdoped films. For example, λ^{-2}(0) decreases rapidly with underdoping but is roughly constant above optimal doping. Also, λ^{-2}(T) at low T is exponential at optimal and overdoping but is quadratic at underdoping. In light of other studies that suggest both d- and s-wave pairing symmetry in nominally optimally doped samples, our results…
Magnetotransport measurements on the overdoped cuprate La_{1.7}Sr_{0.3}CuO_4 are fitted using the Ong construction and band parameters inferred from angle-resolved photoemission. Within a band picture, the low temperature Hall data can only be fitted satisfactorily by invoking strong basal-plane anisotropy in the mean-free-path $\ell$. This violation of the isotropic-$\ell$ approximation supports a picture of dominant small-angle elastic scattering in cuprates due to out-of-plane substitutional disorder. We show that both band anisotropy and anisotropy in the elastic scattering channel strongl…
We performed far-infrared and submillimeter-wave conductivity experiments in the electron-doped cuprate La_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_4 with x = 0.081 (underdoped regime, T_c = 25 K). The onset of the absorption in the superconducting state is gradual in frequency and is inconsistent with the isotropic s-wave gap. Instead, a narrow quasiparticle peak is observed at zero frequency and a second peak at finite frequencies, clear fingerprints of the conductivity in a d-wave superconductor. A far-infrared conductivity peak can be attributed to 4Delta_0, or to 2Delta_0 + Delta_spin, where Delta_spin is the resona…
We use coherent pump-probe spectroscopy to measure the photoinduced reflectivity \DeltaR, and complex dielectric function, δ\in, of the electron-doped cuprate superconductor Nd_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_{4+δ} at a value of x near optimal doping, as a function of time, temperature, and laser fluence. We observe the onset of a negative \DeltaR at T=85 K, above the superconducting transition temperature, T_c, of 23 K, that exhibits a form of scaling consistent with critical fluctuations in the time domain. A positive ΔR onsets at T_c that we associate with superconducting order. We find that the two signals a…
The effects of nonmagnetic Zn and magnetic Ni substitution for Cu site on magnetism are studied by measurements of uniform magnetic susceptibility for lightly doped La_{2-x}Sr_xCu_{1-z}M_zO_4 (M=Zn or Ni) polycrystalline samples. For the parent x=0, Zn doping suppresses the Néel temperature T_N whereas Ni doping hardly changes T_N up to z=0.3. For the lightly doped samples with T_N~0, the Ni doping recovers T_N. For the superconducting samples, the Ni doping induces the superconductivity-to-antiferromagnetic transition (or crossover). All the heavily Ni doped samples indicate a spin glass beha…
We report a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) study of the doping dependence of charge-transfer excitations in $\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$. The mome ntum dependence of these charge excitations are studied over the whole Brillouin zone in underdoped (x=0.05) and optimally doped (x=0.17) samples, and compared with that of the undoped (x=0) sample. We observe a large change in the RIXS spectra between the x=0 and x=0.17 sample, while the RIXS spectra of the x=0.05 sample are similar to that of the x=0 sample. The most prominent effect of doped-holes on the charge excitation spectra is the ap…
The low-temperature specific heat of La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) single crystals in magnetic field H up to 12 T has been examined over a wide range of doping (0.063=< p =<0.238). From this we have mapped the upper critical field H_{c2} of LSCO across the entire superconducting diagram. It is found that the H_{c2} shows a doping dependence similar to that of the critical temperature T_c. We have discussed the implications of the result and proposed that there may be an effective superconducting energy scale responsible for the H_{c2} behavior in the underdoped region.
We propose an interpretation for the hump observed in the optical conductivity at or below a few hundreds of cm$^{-1}$, in overdoped cuprates like the electron-doped Nd_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_{4-y} at x\gtrsim 0.15 and the hole-doped Bi_2Sr_2CuO_6 and La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4. This interpretation is based on the direct excitation of charge collective modes, which become nearly critical in the proximity to a charge-ordering instability. The nearly critical character of these excitations entails a peculiar temperature dependence and a pseudo-scaling form of the lineshapes, which are in agreement with the experim…
A study of the in-plane magnetic penetration depth λ_ab in a series of the cuprate superconductors Ca_2-xNa_xCuO_2Cl_2 (Na-CCOC) with Na content x=0.11, 0.12, 0.15, 0.18, and 0.19 is reported. The zero temperature values of λ_ab(0) were obtained by means of the muon-spin rotation technique, as well as from measurements of the intrinsic susceptibility χ^int(0) by using the procedure developed by Kanigel et al. [Phys.Rev.B 71, 224511 (2005)]. λ_ab at T=0K was found to increase with decreasing doping from λ_ab(0)=316(19)nm for the x=0.19 sample to λ_ab(0)=430(26)nm for the x=0.11 one. From a comp…
A first Fermi surface map of a single-layer high-Tc superconductor is presented. The experiments were carried out on optimally doped Bi_2Sr_(2-x)La_xCuO_(6+delta)(x=0.40) with synchrotron radiation which allow to discuss in detail the strong polarisation dependence of the emissions near the Fermi edge. For the cuprates only little is known about the impact of the electron-photon matrix element determining the photoelectron intensity. For the example of the model layered superconductor Bi_2Sr_(2-x)La_xCuO_(6+delta)it will be demonstrated that the polarization geometry has significant influence …
We report the synthesis of new superconducting cuprates T'-La2-xRExCuO4 (RE = Sm, Eu, Tb, Lu, and Y) using molecular beam epitaxy. The new superconductors have no effective dopant, at least nominally. The substitution of isovalent RE for La was essentially performed to stabilize the T' phase of La2CuO4 instead of the T phase. The maximum Tconset is ~ 25 K and Tczero is ~ 21 K. The keys to our discovery are (1) the preparation of high-crystalline-quality La-based T' films by low-temperature (~ 650C) thin film processes, and (2) more thorough removal of impurity oxygen at the apical site, which …
By measuring the field and temperature dependence of magnetization on systematically doped $La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ thin films, the critical current density $j_c(0)$ and the collective pinning energy $U_p(0)$ are determined in single vortex creep regime. Together with the published data of superfluid density, condensation energy and anisotropy, for the first time we derive the doping dependence of the coherence length or vortex core size in wide doping regime directly from the low temperature data. It is found that the coherence length drops in the underdoped region and increases in the overdoped s…
We calculate the doping dependence of the penetration depths and optical sum rule violation in La_(2-x)Sr_xCuO_4 within the model of hole superconductivity. In the clean limit the predicted in-plane sum rule violation is larger than the c-axis one, however in the presence of disorder the latter one becomes very substantially enhanced.
We present experimental results for the in-plane resistivity of the electron-doped cuprate superconductor $La_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_4$ above its transition temperature $T_c$ as a function of Ce doping x and temperature. For the doping x between 0.11 and 0.17, where $T_c$ varies from 30 K (x=0.11) to 5 K (x=0.17), we find that the resistivity shows an approximate $T^2$ behavior for all values of doping over the measurement range from 100 K to 400 K. The coefficient of the $T^2$ resistivity term decreases with increasing x following the trend in $T_c$. We analyze our data theoretically and posit that n-t…
The inhomogeneities inherent to the random distribution of Sr dopants in La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 superconductors are probed by measuring the x-ray diffraction linewidths and the Meissner transition widths, and then consistently explained on the grounds of a simple model in which the local Sr content is calculated by averaging over distances close to the in-plane electronic mean free path. By taking into account these intrinsic bulk inhomogeneities with long characteristic lengths (much larger than the superconducting coherence length amplitudes), the precursor diamagnetism measured above Tc, a finge…
We underline and comment some features of the data obtained in the beautiful experiment by G. S. Boebinger, Y. Ando, A. Passner, T. Kimura, M. Okuya, J. Shimoyama, K. Kishio, K. Tamasaku, N. Ichikawa, and S. Uchida, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 5417 (1996). While in our general interpretation we agree with the authors that ``It is possible that charge ordering could underlie the unusual insulating behavior'' observed ``in all underdoped LSCO samples'', we further notice that some specific features of the data are most naturally interpreted in the light of our proposal for an incommensurate charge-dens…
The effects on the correlated Cu^{2+} S = 1/2 spin dynamics in the paramagnetic phase of La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (for $x \lesssim 0.04$) due to the injection of holes are studied by means of ^{63}Cu NQR spin-lattice relaxation time T_1 measurements. The results are discussed in the framework of the connection between T_1 and the in-plane magnetic correlation length $ξ_{2D}(x,T)$. It is found that at high temperatures the system remains in the renormalized classical regime, with a spin stiffness constant $ρ_s(x)$ reduced by small doping to an extent larger than the one due to Zn doping. For $x\gtrsim…
LaCuO_2.5 is a system of coupled, two-chain, cuprate ladders which may be doped systematically by Sr substitution. Motivated by the recent synthesis of single crystals, we investigate theoretically the possibility of superconductivity in this compound. We use a model of spin fluctuation-mediated superconductivity, where the pairing potential is strongly peaked at πin the ladder direction. We solve the coupled gap equations on the bonding and antibonding ladder bands to find superconducting solutions across the range of doping, and discuss their relevance to the real material.
We report resistivity and Hall effect measurements in electron-doped Pr$_{2-x}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_{4-δ}$ films in magnetic field up to 58 T. In contrast to hole-doped cuprates, we find a surprising non-linear magnetic field dependence of Hall resistivity at high field in the optimally doped and overdoped films. We also observe a crossover from quadratic to linear field dependence of the positive magnetoresistance in the overdoped films. A spin density wave induced Fermi surface reconstruction model can be used to qualitatively explain both the Hall effect and magnetoresistance.
We report here the supplementary material for Ref. [1]. Using torque magnetometry, we measured the magnetization anisotropy of 7 crystals of $\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ (LSCO). In optimally-doped cuprates, the bulk susceptibility is dominated by the paramagnetic van-Vleck orbital term $χ_{orb}$ which has a significant anisotropy ($χ^{orb}_c>χ^{orb}_{ab}$) that changes weakly with $T$ (subscripts $c$ and ${ab}$ identify quantities measured with $\bf H||c$ and $\bf H\perp c$, respectively). Moreover, in the lightly-doped regime, the paramagnetic spin susceptibilities $χ^s_c$ and $χ^s_{ab}$ become si…
The main feature in the elastic neutron scattering of La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 is the existence of incommensurate peaks with positions that jump from 45 to 0 degrees at 5% doping. We show that the spiral state of the t-t'-t''-J model with realistic parameters describes this data perfectly. We explain why in the insulator the peak is at 45 degrees while it switches to 0 degrees precisely at the insulator-metal transition. The calculated positions of the peaks are in agreement with the data in both phases.
We report angle-resolved photoemission spectra both above and below T_c in the single-plane cuprate superconductor Bi_2Sr_{2-x}La_xCuO_{6+d}. The superconducting state measurements show a highly anisotropic excitation gap with a maximum magnitude smaller than that of the bilayer compound Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8 by a factor of 3. For a range of doping, the gap persists well above T_c, behavior previously associated with underdoped bilayer cuprates. The anisotropy and magnitude of the normal-state gap are very similar to the superconducting state gap, indicating that the two gaps may have a common ori…
Low energy polarized electronic Raman scattering of the electron doped superconductor Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO_4 (T_c=22 K) has revealed a nonmonotonic d_{x^2-y^2} superconducting order parameter. It has a maximum gap of 4.4 k_BT_c at Fermi surface intersections with antiferromagnetic Brillouin zone (the ``hot spots'') and a smaller gap of 3.3 k_BT_c at fermionic Brillouin zone boundaries. The gap enhancement in the vicinity of the ``hot spots'' emphasizes role of antiferromagnetic fluctuations and similarity in the origin of superconductivity for electron- and hole-doped cuprates.
In high temperature copper oxides superconductors, a novel magnetic order associated with the pseudogap phase has been identified in two different cuprate families over a wide region of temperature and doping. We here report the observation below 120 K of a similar magnetic ordering in the archetypal cuprate ${\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4}$ (LSCO) system for x=0.085. In contrast to the previous reports, the magnetic ordering in LSCO is {\it\bf only} short range with an in-plane correlation length of $\sim$ 10 Å and is bidimensional (2D). Such a less pronounced order suggests an interaction with other…
Two aspects in connection with the magnetic properties of La_{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4 single crystals are discussed. The first is related to long wavelength magnetic excitations in x = 0, 0.01, and 0.03 La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 detwinned crystals as a function of doping, temperature and magnetic field. Two magnetic modes were observed within the AF region of the phase diagram. The one at lower energies was identified with the spin-wave gap induced by the antisymmetric DM interaction and its anisotropic properties in magnetic field could be well explained using a canonical form of the spin Hamiltonian. A …
We report a tunneling study between Pr_2-xCe_xCuO_{4-delta} (PCCO) and Lead as a function of doping, temperature and magnetic field. The temperature dependence of the gap follows the BCS prediction. Our data fits a nonmonotonic d-wave order parameter for the whole doping range studied. From our data we are able to conclude that the electron-doped cuprate PCCO is a weak coupling, BCS, dirty superconductor.
We present a review of the vortex-Nernst effect in the 3 cuprate families La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4, Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8, and YBa_2Cu_3O_{y}, and discuss the scenario that the superconducting transition in the hole-doped cuprates corresponds to the destruction of long-range phase coherence rather than the vanishing of the order-parameter amplitude.
The tunneling spectra of the electron-doped cuprate Pr_2-xCe_xCuO4 as a function of doping and temperature is reported. We find that the superconducting gap, delta, shows a BCS-like temperature dependence even for extremely low carrier concentrations (studied here for the first time). Moreover, delta follows the doping dependence of Tc, in strong contrast with tunneling studies of hole-doped cuprates. From our results we conclude that there is a single superconducting energy scale in the electron-doped cuprates.
Transport properties of high transition temperature (high Tc) cuprate superconductors are investigated within a two-band model. The doping dependent Hall coefficients of La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) and Nd_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_4 (NCCO) are explained by assuming the coexistence of two carriers with opposite charges, loosely speaking electrons (e) and holes (h). Such a possible electron-hole coexistence (EHC) in other p-type cuprates is also inferred from subtle features in the Hall coefficient R_H and thermopower S. The EHC possibly relates to the pseudogap and sign reversals of transport coefficients near…
Static spin-stripe order and superconductivity were systematically studied in La_2-xBa_xCuO_4 (0.11 - 0.17) at ambient pressure by means of magnetization and muSR experiments. We find that all the investigated La_2-xBa_xCuO_4 samples exhibit static spin-stripe order and that the quasi two-dimensional superconducting (SC) transition temperature T_c1 and the static spin-stripe order temperature T_so have very similar values throughout the phase diagram. Moreover, the magnetic and the SC properties of the x = 0.155 (LBCO-0.155) and x = 0.17 (LBCO-0.17) samples were studied under hydrostatic press…
We measure the magnetic-field dependence of the c-axis resistivity, ρ_c(H), in a series of Bi_{2}Sr_{2-x}La_xCuO_{6+δ} (BSLCO) single crystals for a wide range of doping using pulsed magnetic fields up to 58 T. The behavior of ρ_c(H) is examined in light of the recent determination of the upper critical field H_{c2} for this material using Nernst effect measurements. We find that the peak in ρ_c(H) shows up at a field H_p that is much lower than H_{c2} and there is no discernable feature in ρ_c(H) at H_{c2}. Intriguingly, H_p shows a doping dependence similar to that of T_c, and there is an ap…
We investigate the dependence of the energy gap ($G$) on the temperature ($T$) for the electron-doped high-temperature superconductors. The following compounds, in the form of the thin films, have been taken into consideration: $\rm La_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_{4}$ (LCCO), $\rm Pr_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_{4}$ (PCCO), and $\rm Nd_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_4$ (NCCO). It was found that $G\left(T\right)$ deviates from the BCS prediction more, if a concentration of cerium assumes the lower values. For the lowest concentration (in the case of LCCO and NCCO), the function $G\left(T\right)$ is not quite like the BCS curve, which is conn…
We report the self-energy associated with RPA magnetic susceptibility in the hole-doped Bi_2Sr_2CuO_6 (Bi2201) and the electron-doped Nd_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_4 (NCCO) in the overdoped regime within the framework of a one-band Hubbard model. Strong weight is found in the magnetic spectrum around (pi, 0) at about 360 meV in Bi2201 and 640 meV in NCCO, which yields dispersion anomalies in accord with the recently observed `waterfall' effects in the cuprates.
The Nernst effect has recently proven a sensitive probe for detecting unusual normal state properties of unconventional superconductors. In particular, it may sensitively detect Fermi surface reconstructions which are connected to a charge or spin density wave (SDW) ordered state, and even fluctuating forms of such a state. Here we summarize recent results for the Nernst effect of the iron pnictide superconductor $\rm LaO_{1-x}F_xFeAs$, whose ground state evolves upon doping from an itinerant SDW to a superconducting state, and the cuprate superconductor $\rm La_{1.8-x}Eu_{0.2}Sr_xCuO_4$ which…
We have studied the thermopower of La_2CuO_{4+z} and Nd_2CuO_{4-y} which undergo an antiferromagnetic transition near room temperature and Bi_2Sr_{2-x}La_xCuO_{6+z} for which a broad spectrum of doping is possible. The thermopower of La_2CuO_{4+z} and Nd_2CuO_{4-y} is seen to exhibit an anomaly at the Neel temperature, whereas the resistivity is not. The extrapolated zero-temperature intercept of the thermopower, which is known to be positive for hole-doped cuprate superconductors, is found to become negative for Bi_2Sr_{2-x}La_xCuO_{6+z} above some critical doping-level. The data strongly sug…
The normal-state in-plane resistivity (ρ_{ab}) is measured in lightly Zn-doped La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) crystals with 0.06 \leq x \leq 0.17 to systematically study the localization behavior. It is found that the localization temperature, T_{loc}, where ρ_{ab}(T) turns from metallic (dρ_{ab}/dT>0) to insulating (dρ_{ab}/dT<0), shows an anomalous enhancement at x=0.12. Intriguingly, the doping dependence of T_{loc} in Zn-doped LSCO is found to be similar to that of Zn-free LSCO where superconductivity is suppressed by a high magnetic field. This suggests that the mechanism of the localization is…
Measurements of the static magnetization, susceptibility and ESR of Gd spin probes have been performed to study the properties of antiferromagnetically ordered La_{2-x-y}Eu_ySr_xCuO_4 (x less or equal 0.02) with the low temperature tetragonal structure. According to the static magnetic measurements the CuO_2 planes are magnetically decoupled in this structural phase. The ESR study reveals strong magnetic fluctuations at the ESR frequency which are not present in the orthorhombic phase. It is argued that this drastic enhancement of the spin fluctuations is due to a considerable weakening of the…
We present a study of the magnetic susceptibility in carefully detwinned La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_4 single crystals in the lightly-doped region (x=0-0.03), which demonstrates a remarkable in-plane anisotropy of the spin system. This anisotropy is found to persist after the long-range antiferromagnetic (AF) order is destroyed by hole doping, suggesting that doped holes break the AF order into domains in which the spin alignment is kept essentially intact. It turns out that the freezing of the spins taking place at low temperatures is also notably anisotropic, implying that the "spin-glass" feature is …
Recently resonant inelastic x-ray scattering experiments reported fine details of the charge excitations around the in-plane momentum ${\bf q}_{\parallel}=(0,0)$ for various doping rates in electron-doped cuprates ${\rm La_{2-x}Ce_xCuO_4}$. We find that those new experimental data are well captured by acoustic-like plasmon excitations in a microscopic study of the layered $t$-$J$ model with the long-range Coulomb interaction. The acoustic-like plasmon is not a usual plasmon typical to the two-dimensional system, but has a small gap proportional to the interlayer hopping $t_z$.
We have studied the doping dependence of the in-plane and out-of-plane superfluid density, ρ^s(0), of two monolayer high-Tc superconductors, HgBa_2CuO_{4+δ} and La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4, using the low frequency ac-susceptibility and the muon spin relaxation techniques. For both superconductors, ρ^s(0) increases rapidly with doping in the under- and optimally doped regime and becomes nearly doping independent above a critical doping, p_c = 0.20.
We report on the study of the Fermi surface of the electron-doped cuprate superconductor Nd$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4}$ by measuring the interlayer magnetoresistance as a function of the strength and orientation of the applied magnetic field. We performed experiments in both steady and pulsed magnetic fields on high-quality single crystals with Ce concentrations of $x=0.13$ to 0.17. In the overdoped regime of $x > 0.15$ we found both semiclassical angle-dependent magnetoresistance oscillations (AMRO) and Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations. The combined AMRO and SdH data clearly show that the appe…
Some recent experiments that provide support for the concept of topological doping in cuprate superconductors are discussed. Consistent with the idea of charge segregation, it is argued that the scattering associated with the ``resonance'' peak found in YBa(2)Cu(3)O(6+x) and Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+δ) comes from the Cu spins and not from the doped holes.
Using Cu NQR in Eu-doped La_{2- x}Sr_xCuO_4 we show the evidence of the pinned stripe phase for moderate doping at 1.3K. The pinned fraction increases by one order of magnitude near hole doping x=1/8. The NQR lineshape reveals three inequivalent Cu positions: i) sites in the charged stripe; ii) nonmagnetic sites outside the stripes; iii) sites with a magnetic moment of 0.29 Bohr magnethon in the AF correlated regions. A dramatic change of the NQR signal for x > 0.18 correlating with the onset of bulk superconductivity corresponds to the depinning of the stripe phase. .
The doping and temperature dependence of the electronic Raman response in cuprate superconductors is studied within the framework of the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism for the t-J model. It is shown that the temperature dependent depletion at low-energy shifts is faster in B_{1g} symmetry than in B_{2g} symmetry. In analogy to the domelike shape of the doping dependent superconducting transition temperature, the pair-breaking peak energy in B_{2g} channel increases with increasing doping in the underdoped regime, and reaches a maximum in the optimal doping, then decreases in t…
We systematically investigate charge-ordering phases by means of a restricted and unrestricted Gutzwiller approximation to the single-band Hubbard model with nearest ($t$) and next-nearest neighbor hopping ($t'$). When $|t'/t|$ is small, as appropriate for ${\rm La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4}$, stripes are found, whereas in compounds with larger $|t'/t|$ (such as ${\rm Ca_{2-x}Na_x CuO_2Cl_2}$ and ${\rm Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ}}$) checkerboard structures are favored. In contrast to the linear doping dependence found for stripes the charge periodicity of checkerboard textures is locked to 4 unit cells over a …
We present a study of Nernst effect in underdoped $La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4$ in magnetic fields as high as 28T. At high fields, a sizeable Nernst signal was found to persist in presence of a field-induced non-metallic resistivity. By simultaneously measuring resistivity and the Nernst coefficient, we extract the entropy of vortex cores in the vicinity of this field-induced superconductor-insulator transition. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the thermo-electric Hall angle provides strong constraints on the possible origins of the finite Nernst signal above $T_c$, as recently discovered by Xu e…
We have analyzed experimental evidence for an anomalous transfer of spectral weight from high to low energy scales in both electron and hole doped cuprates as a function of doping. X-ray scattering, optical and photoemission spectra are all found to show that the high energy spectral weight decreases with increasing doping at a rate much faster than predictions of the large $U-$limit calculations. The observed doping evolution is however well-described by an intermediate coupling scenario where the effective Hubbard $U$ is comparable to the bandwidth. The experimental spectra across various sp…
The electronic structure of interfaces between YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_6$ and SrTiO$_3$ is studied using local spin density approximation (LSDA) with intra-atomic Coulomb repulsion (LSDA+U). We find a metallic state in cuprate/titanate heterostructures with the hole carriers concentrated substantially in the CuO$_2$-layers and in the first interface TiO$_2$ and SrO planes. This effective interface doping appears due to the polarity of interfaces, caused by the first incomplete copper oxide unit cell. Interface-induced high pre-doping of CuO$_2$-layers is a key mechanism controlling the superconducting…
Within the t-t'-J model, the doping dependence of the Meissner effect in cuprate superconductors is studied based on the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism. Following the linear response theory, it is shown that the electromagnetic response consists of two parts, the diamagnetic current and the paramagnetic current, which exactly cancels the diamagnetic term in the normal state, and then the Meissner effect is obtained for all the temperature $T\leq T_{c}$ throughout the superconducting dome. By considering the two-dimensional geometry of cuprate superconductors within the specula…
We describe a reversible, spatially-controlled doping method for cuprate films. The technique has been used to create superconductor-antiferromagnetic insulator-superconductor (S-AFI-S) junctions and optimally doped superconductor-underdoped superconductor-optimally doped superconductor (OS-US-OS) cuprate structures. We demonstrate how the S-AFI-S structure can be employed to reliably measure the transport properties of the antiferromagnetic insulator region at cryogenic temperatures using the superconductors as seamless electrical leads. We also discuss applied and fundamental issues which ma…
Within the Kotliar-Ruckenstein slave-boson approach, we have studied the antiferromagnetic (AF) properties for the $t$-$t'$-$t''$-$U$ model applied to electron-doped cuprate superconductors. Due to inclusion of spin fluctuations the AF order decreases with doping much faster than obtained in the Hartree-Fock theory. Under an intermediate {\it constant} $U$ the calculated doping evolution of the spectral intensity has satisfactorily reproduced the experimental results, without need of a strongly doping-dependent $U$ as argued earlier. This may reconcile a discrepancy suggested in recent studies…
We report time-resolved measurements of the photoinduced change in reflectivity, Delta R, in the Bi2Sr2Ca(1-y)Dy(y)Cu2O(8+delta) (BSCCO) system of cuprate superconductors as a function of hole concentration. We find that the kinetics of quasiparticle decay and the sign of Delta R both change abruptly where the superconducting transition temperature Tc is maximal. These coincident changes suggest that a sharp transition in quasiparticle dynamics takes place precisely at optimal doping in the BSCCO system.