Systematic X-ray absorption study of hole doping in BSCCO - phases

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) on the O 1s threshold was applied to Bi-based, single crystalline high temperature superconductors (HTc's), whose hole densities in the CuO2 planes was varied by different methods. XAS gives the intensity of the so-called pre-peak of the O 1s line due to the unoccupied part of the Zhang-Rice (ZR) singlet state. The effects of variation of the number n of CuO2 - planes per unit cell (n = 1,2,3) and the effect of La-substitution for Sr for the n = 1 and n = 2 phase were studied systematically. Furthermore the symmetry of the states could be probed by the polarization of the impinging radiation.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of SCES2001, Ann Arbor, August 6-10, 200

Natural linewidth analysis of d-band photoemission from Ag(110)

We report a high-resolution angle-resolved study of photoemission linewidths observed for Ag(110). A careful data analysis yields k$-resolved upper limits for the inverse inelastic lifetimes of$d$-holes at the X-point of the bulk band structure. At the upper$d$-band edge the hole-lifetime is$\tau_h \geq 22 $fs, i.e. more than one order of magnitude larger than predicted for a free-electron gas. Following calculations for$d$-hole dynamics in Cu (I.\ Campillo et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., in press) we interpret the lifetime enhancement by a small scattering cross-section of $d$- and $sp$-states below the Fermi level. With increasing distance to $E_F$ the $d$-hole lifetimes get shorter because of the rapidly increasing density of d-states and contributions of intra-$d$-band scattering processes, but remain clearly above free-electron-model predictions.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figure

Comparative study of the electronic structures of the In and Sn/In2O3 (111) interfaces

The electronic structure of the transparent semiconductor In2O3 has been studied by angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy upon deposition of metallic indium and also tin on the surface of the semiconductor. By deposition of metallic indium on In2O3 (111) single crystals, we detected the formation of a free-electron like band of effective mass (0.38+-0.05) m0. At low coverages, metallic In shifts the Fermi level of In2O3 to higher energies and a new electronic state forms at the metal/semiconductor interface. This state of two-dimensional character (2D-electron gas) is completely responsible for the electrical conduction in In2O3 (111) at the surface region and has a band dispersion, which does not correspond to the previously found surface accumulation layers in this material. Despite the similarity of the electronic properties of In and Sn, a larger downward banding was observed by Sn coverage, which was not accompanied by the appearance of the surface state.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Unusual electronic ground state of a prototype cuprate: band splitting of single CuO_2-plane Bi_2 Sr_(2-x) La_x CuO_(6+delta)

By in-situ change of polarization a small splitting of the Zhang-Rice singlet state band near the Fermi level has been resolved for optimum doped (x=0.4) Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2-x}$La$_{x}$CuO$_{6+\delta}$ at the (pi,0)-point (R.Manzke et al. PRB 63, R100504 (2001). Here we treat the momentum dependence and lineshape of the split band by photoemission in the EDC-mode with very high angular and energy resolution. The splitting into two destinct emissions could also be observed over a large portion of the major symmetry line $\Gamma$M, giving the dispersion for the individual contributions. Since bi-layer effects can not be present in this single-layer material the results have to be discussed in the context of one-particle removal spectral functions derived from current theoretical models. The most prominent are microscopic phase separation including striped phase formation, coexisting antiferromagnetic and incommensurate charge-density-wave critical fluctuations coupled to electrons (hot spots) or even spin charge separation within the Luttinger liquid picture, all leading to non-Fermi liquid like behavior in the normal state and having severe consequences on the way the superconducting state forms. Especially the possibilty of observing spinon and holon excitations is discussed.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Quasiparticles and Energy Scaling in Bi2_2Sr2_2Can−1_{n-1}Cun_nO2n+4_{2n+4} (n\it{n}=1-3): Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has been performed on the single- to triple-layered Bi-family high-{\it T$_c$} superconductors (Bi$_2$Sr$_2$Ca$_{n-1}$Cu$_n$O$_{2n+4}$, $\it{n}$=1-3). We found a sharp quasiparticle peak as well as a pseudogap at the Fermi level in the triple-layered compound. Comparison among three compounds has revealed a universal rule that the characteristic energies of superconducting and pseudogap behaviors are scaled with the maximum {\it T$_c$}.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Structural behavior of Pby_yBi1.95−y_{1.95-y}Sr1.49_{1.49}La0.4_{0.4}Cu1.15_{1.15}O6+δ_{6+\delta} for 0<y<0.53

In the Bi cuprates, the presence of a near 1$\times$5 superstructure is well known. Usually, this superstructure is suppressed by the substitution of lead, but there have been reports of a phase separation in so called {\alpha} and {\beta} phases. This paper shows in high detail time how and why the phase separation develops and what happens to the quasi-1$\times$5 superstructure upon lead substitution. For this purpose, the lanthanum- and lead-substituted single-layered superconductor Bi$_{2+z}$Sr$_{2-z}$CuO$_{6+\delta}$ has been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction. The La content was kept constant at slightly under-doped concentration while the Pb content was changed systematically. Thermodynamic considerations show that a phase mixture of {\alpha} and {\beta} phases is inevitable.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure