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Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopic Studies of the Low-Energy Quasiparticle Excitations in Cuprate Superconductors

Yeh, N.-C. and Teague, M. L. and Wu, R. T.-P. and Feng, Z. J. and Chu, H. and Moehle, A. M. (2013) Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopic Studies of the Low-Energy Quasiparticle Excitations in Cuprate Superconductors. Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism, 26 (1). pp. 65-70. ISSN 1557-1939. doi:10.1007/s10948-012-1706-y. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20120724-143259985

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Abstract

We report scanning tunneling spectroscopic (STS) studies of the low-energy quasiparticle excitations of cuprate superconductors as a function of magnetic field and doping level. Our studies suggest that the origin of the pseudogap (PG) is associated with competing orders (COs), and that the occurrence (absence) of PG above the superconducting (SC) transition T_c is associated with a CO energy Δ_(CO) larger (smaller) than the SC gap Δ_(SC). Moreover, the spatial homogeneity of Δ_(SC) and Δ_(CO) depends on the type of disorder in different cuprates: For optimally and under-doped YBa_2Cu_3O_(7−δ) (Y-123), we find that Δ_(SC) < Δ_(CO) and that both Δ_(SC) and Δ(CO) exhibit long-range spatial homogeneity, in contrast to the highly inhomogeneous STS in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_(8+x) (Bi-2212). We attribute this contrast to the stoichiometric cations and ordered apical oxygen in Y-123, which differs from the non-stoichiometric Bi-to-Sr ratio in Bi-2212 with disordered Sr and apical oxygen in the SrO planes. For Ca-doped Y-123, the substitution of Y by Ca contributes to excess holes and disorder in the CuO_2 planes, giving rise to increasing inhomogeneity, decreasing Δ_(SC) and Δ_(CO), and a suppressed vortex-solid phase. For electron-type cuprate Sr_(0.9)La_(0.1)CuO_2 (La-112), the homogeneous Δ_(SC) and Δ_(CO) distributions may be attributed to stoichiometric cations and the absence of apical oxygen, with Δ_(CO) < Δ_(SC) revealed only inside the vortex cores. Finally, the vortex-core radius (ξ_(halo)) in electron-type cuprates is comparable to the SC coherence length ξ_(SC), whereas ξ_(halo) ∼ 10ξ_(SC) in hole-type cuprates, suggesting that ξ_(halo) may be correlated with the CO strength. The vortex-state irreversibility line in the magnetic field versus temperature phase diagram also reveals doping dependence, indicating the relevance of competing orders to vortex pinning.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10948-012-1706-yDOIArticle
http://www.springerlink.com/content/7675tk4144ln2416/PublisherArticle
https://arxiv.org/abs/1506.02091arXivDiscussion Paper
http://rdcu.be/vM7VPublisherFree ReadCube access
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Yeh, N.-C.0000-0002-1826-419X
Feng, Z. J.0000-0003-3114-7390
Chu, H.0000-0002-1989-9517
Additional Information:© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Received: 30 April 2012; Accepted: 25 June 2012; Published online: 15 July 2012. Original paper for the Proceedings of ICSM2012, Istanbul (April 29–May 4). We acknowledge funding provided by NSF Grant #DMR0907251, by the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, an NSF Physics Frontiers Center with support of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and by the Kavli Nanoscience Institute with support of the Kavli Foundation. ZJF acknowledges the support from China Scholarship Council during his visit to Caltech.
Group:Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, Kavli Nanoscience Institute
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
NSFDMR-0907251
Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM)UNSPECIFIED
Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationUNSPECIFIED
Kavli Nanoscience InstituteUNSPECIFIED
China Scholarship CouncilUNSPECIFIED
Subject Keywords:Cuprate superconductivity; Pseudogap; Competing orders; Quasiparticle excitations; Scanning tunneling spectroscopy
Issue or Number:1
DOI:10.1007/s10948-012-1706-y
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20120724-143259985
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20120724-143259985
Official Citation:Yeh, N. C., M. L. Teague, et al. (2013). "Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopic Studies of the Low-Energy Quasiparticle Excitations in Cuprate Superconductors." Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism 26(1): 65-70.
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:32685
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:25 Jul 2012 20:21
Last Modified:09 Nov 2021 21:29

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