Water Content and Superconductivity in Na0.3CoO2*yH2O

We report here the correlation between the water content and superconductivity in Na0.3CoO2*yH2O under the influences of elevated temperature and cold compression. The x-ray diffraction of the sample annealed at elevated temperatures indicates that intergrowths exist in the compound at equilibrium when 0.6 < y < 1.4. Its low-temperature diamagnetization varies linearly with y, but is insensitive to the intergrowth, indicative of quasi-2D superconductivity. The Tc-onset, especially, shifts only slightly with y. Our data from cold compressed samples, on the other hand, show that the water-loss non-proportionally suppresses the diamagnetization, which is suggestive of weak links.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures; submitted to Physica C (August 13, 2003

Thermodynamic properties in the normal and superconducting states of Na(x)CoO(2)*yH(2)O powder measured by heat capacity experiments

The heat capacity of superconducting Na(x)CoO(2)*yH(2)O was measured and the data are discussed based on three different models: The thermodynamic Ginzburg-Landau model, the BCS theory, and a model including the effects of line nodes in the superconducting gap function. The electronic heat capacity is separated from the lattice contribution in a thermodynamically consistent way maintaining the entropy balance of superconducting and normal states at the critical temperature. It is shown that for a fully gapped superconductor the data can only be explained by a reduced (about 55 %) superconducting volume fraction. The data are compatible with 100 % superconductivity in the case where line nodes are present in the superconducting gap function.Comment: Revised, 19 pages, 3 figure

Pressure dependence of the superconducting transition and electron correlations in Na_xCoO_2 \cdot 1.3H_2O

We report T_c and ^{59}Co nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements on the cobalt oxide superconductor Na_{x}CoO_{2}\cdot 1.3H_{2}O (T_c=4.8 K) under hydrostatic pressure (P) up to 2.36 GPa. T_c decreases with increasing pressure at an average rate of -0.49\pm0.09 K/GPa. At low pressures P\leq0.49 GPa, the decrease of T_c is accompanied by a weakening of the spin correlations at a finite wave vector and a reduction of the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level. At high pressures above 1.93 GPa, however, the decrease of T_c is mainly due to a reduction of the DOS. These results indicate that the electronic/magnetic state of Co is primarily responsible for the superconductivity. The spin-lattice relaxation rate 1/T_1 at P=0.49 GPa shows a T^3 variation below T_c down to T\sim 0.12T_c, which provides compelling evidence for the presence of line nodes in the superconducting gap function.Comment: published on 19, Sept. 2007 on Phys. Rev.

Field-Induced Resistive Switching in Metal-Oxide Interfaces

We investigate the polarity-dependent field-induced resistive switching phenomenon driven by electric pulses in perovskite oxides. Our data show that the switching is a common occurrence restricted to an interfacial layer between a deposited metal electrode and the oxide. We determine through impedance spectroscopy that the interfacial layer is no thicker than 10 nm and that the switch is accompanied by a small capacitance increase associated with charge accumulation. Based on interfacial I-V characterization and measurement of the temperature dependence of the resistance, we propose that a field-created crystalline defect mechanism, which is controllable for devices, drives the switch.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Superconductivity in NaxCoO2.yH2O

The effect of hydrostatic pressure on the superconducting transition temperature of Na{0.35}CoO{2}.yH{2}O was investigated by ac susceptibility measurements up to 1.6 GPa. The pressure coefficient of T{c} is negative and the dependence T{c}(p) is nonlinear over the pressure range investigated. The magnitude of the average dlnT{c}/dp=-0.07 GPa^{-1} is comparable to the pressure coefficient of electron-doped high-T{c} copper oxide superconductors with a similar value of T{c}. Our results provide support to the assumption of two-dimensional superconductivity in Na{0.35}CoO{2}.yH{2}O, which is similar to the cuprate systems, and suggest that intercalation of larger molecules may lead to an enhancement of T{c}.Comment: Revised Manuscrip

Unconventional Superconductivity and Electron Correlations in Cobalt Oxyhydrate Na0.35_{0.35}CoO2_{2}⋅y\cdot yH2_{2}O

We report a precise $^{59}$Co nuclear quadrupolar resonance (NQR) measurement on the recently discovered cobalt oxyhydrate Na$_{0.35}$CoO$_{2}$$\cdot y$H$_{2}$O superconductor from $T$=40 K down to 0.2 K. We find that in the normal state the spin-lattice relaxation rate $1/T_1$ follows a Curie-Weiss type temperature ($T$) variation, $1/T_1T=C/(T-\theta)$, with $\theta$=-42 K, suggesting two-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin correlations. Below $T_c$=3.9 K, $1/T_1$ decreases with no coherence peak and follows a $T^n$ dependence with $n\simeq$2.2 down to $\sim$2.0 K but crosses over to a $1/T_1\propto T$ variation below $T$=1.4 K, which suggests non s-wave superconductivity. The data in the superconducting state are most consistent with the existence of line nodes in the gap function.Comment: submitted for publication in June '0

Raman Phonons and Ageing-Related Surface Disorder in NaxCoO2

The polarized Raman spectra from ab and ac surfaces of single crystal NaxCoO2 (x~0.7), parent compound of recently discovered superconductor NaxCoO2.yH2O, are reported and discussed. The crystals were hexagon platelets of typical size 3x3x0.1 mm. Three of the five (A1g+E1g+3E2g) Raman active phonons were unambiguously identified at 458 (E1g), 494(E2g) and 574 (A1g) cm-1. The spectra from ab and ac surfaces differ significantly and provide evidence that within hours after preparation the ac surface, unlike the ab one, is strongly disordered. Within several days the disorder extends over the ab surface too.Comment: 4 pages, 1 table, 4 figures. Physica C (accepted 26 September 2003