Carrier concentrations in Bi_{2}Sr_{2-z}La_{z}CuO_{6+\delta} single crystals and their relation to Hall coefficient and thermopower

We measured the thermopower S and the Hall coefficients R_H of Bi_{2}Sr_{2-z}La_{z}CuO_{6+\delta} (BSLCO) single crystals in a wide doping range, in an effort to identify the actual hole concentrations per Cu, p, in this system. It is found that the "universal" relation between the room-temperature thermopower and T_c does not hold in the BSLCO system. Instead, comparison of the temperature-dependent R_H data with other cuprate systems is used as a tool to identify the actual p value. To justify this approach, we compare normalized R_H(T) data of BSLCO, La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} (LSCO), YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{y}, and Tl_{2}Ba_{2}CuO_{6+\delta}, and demonstrate that the R_H(T) data of the LSCO system can be used as a template for the estimation of p. The resulting phase diagram of p vs T_c for BSLCO suggests that T_c is anomalously suppressed in the underdoped samples, becoming zero at around p ~ 0.10, while the optimum T_c is achieved at p ~ 0.16 as expected.Comment: 4 pages including 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B, Rapid Communication

Nodal Quasiparticle Dispersion in Strongly Correlated d-wave Superconductors

We analyze the effects of a momentum-dependent self-energy on the photoemission momentum distribution curve (MDC) lineshape, dispersion and linewidth. We illustrate this general analysis by a detailed examination of nodal quasiparticles in high Tc cuprates. We use variational results for the nodal quasiparticle weight Z (which varies rapidly with hole doping x) and the low energy Fermi velocity $v_F^{low}$ (which is independent of x), to show that the high energy MDC dispersion $v_{high} = v_F^{low}/Z$, so that it is much larger than the bare (band structure) velocity and also increases strongly with underdoping. We also present arguments for why the low energy Fermi velocity and the high energy dispersion are independent of the bare band structure at small x. All of these results are in good agreement with earlier and recent photoemission data [Zhou et al, Nature 423, 398 (2003)].Comment: 4 pages, 3 eps fig

Nature of the Electronic Excitations near the Brillouin Zone Boundary of Bi2_2Sr2_2CaCu2_2O8+δ_{8+\delta}

Based on angle resolved photoemission spectra measured on different systems at different dopings, momenta and photon energies, we show that the anomalously large spectral linewidth in the $(\pi,0)$ region of optimal doped and underdoped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ has significant contributions from the bilayer splitting, and that the scattering rate in this region is considerably smaller than previously estimated. This new picture of the electronic excitation near $(\pi,0)$ puts additional experimental constraints on various microscopic theories and data analysis.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

The Superconductivity, Intragrain Penetration Depth and Meissner Effect of RuSr2(Gd,Ce)2Cu2O10+delta

The hole concentration (p)(delta), the transition temperature Tc, the intragrain penetration depth lambda, and the Meissner effect were measured for annealed RuSr2(Gd,Ce)2Cu2O10+delta samples. The intragrain superconducting transition temperature Tc} varied from 17 to 40 K while the p changed by only 0.03 holes/CuO2. The intragrain superfluid-density 1/lambda^2 and the diamagnetic drop of the field-cooled magnetization across Tc (the Meissner effect), however, increased more than 10 times. All of these findings are in disagreement with both the Tc vs. p and the Tc vs. 1/lambda^2 correlations proposed for homogeneous cuprates, but are in line with a possible phase-separation and the granularity associated with it.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. B (May 2, 2002

Vortex Solid-Liquid Transition in Bi2_{2}Sr2_{2}CaCu2_{2}O8+δ_{8+\delta} with a High Density of Strong Pins

The introduction of a large density of columnar defects in %underdoped Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+\delta}$ crystals does not, at sufficiently low vortex densities, increase the irreversibility line beyond the first order transition (FOT) field of pristine crystals. At such low fields, the flux line wandering length $r_{w}$ behaves as in pristine %Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+\delta}$ crystals. Next, vortex positional correlations along the $c$--axis in the vortex Bose glass at fields above the FOT are smaller than in the low--field vortex solid. Third, the Bose-glass-to-vortex liquid transition is signaled by a rapid decrease in c-axis phase correlations. These observations are understood in terms of the ``discrete superconductor'' model.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures Submitted to Phys. Rev. B Rapid Comm. 16-1-2004 Revised version 18-3-200

Marginal Fermi liquid analysis of 300 K reflectance of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x

We use 300 K reflectance data to investigate the normal-state electrodynamics of the high temperature superconductor Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+\delta}$ over a wide range of doping levels. The data show that at this temperature the free carriers are coupled to a continuous spectrum of fluctuations. Assuming the Marginal Fermi Liquid (MFL) form as a first approximation for the fluctuation spectrum, the doping-dependent coupling constant $\lambda (p)$ can be estimated directly from the slope of the reflectance spectrum. We find that $\lambda (p)$ decreases smoothly with the hole doping level, from underdoped samples with $p=0.103$ ($T_c = 67$ K) where $\lambda (p)= 0.93$ to overdoped samples with $p=0.226$, ($T_c= 60$ K) where $\lambda(p)= 0.53$. An analysis of the intercept and curvature of the reflectance spectrum shows deviations from the MFL spectrum symmetrically placed at the optimal doping point $p=0.16$. The Kubo formula for the conductivity gives a better fit to the experiments with the MFL spectrum up to 2000 cm$^{-1}$ and with an additional Drude component or an additional Lorentz component up to 7000 cm$^{-1}$. By comparing three different model fits we conclude that the MFL channel is necessary for a good fit to the reflectance data. Finally, we note that the monotonic variation of the reflectance slope with doping provides us with an independent measure of the doping level for the Bi-2212 system.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure

Carrier relaxation, pseudogap, and superconducting gap in high-Tc cuprates: A Raman scattering study

We describe results of electronic Raman-scattering experiments in differently doped single crystals of Y-123 and Bi-2212. The comparison of AF insulating and metallic samples suggests that at least the low-energy part of the spectra originates predominantly from excitations of free carriers. We therefore propose an analysis of the data in terms of a memory function approach. Dynamical scattering rates and mass-enhancement factors for the carriers are obtained. In B2g symmetry the Raman data compare well to the results obtained from ordinary and optical transport. For underdoped materials the dc scattering rates in B1g symmetry become temperature independent and considerably larger than in B2g symmetry. This increasing anisotropy is accompanied by a loss of spectral weight in B2g symmetry in the range between the superconducting transition at Tc and a characteristic temperature T* of order room temperature which compares well with the pseudogap temperature found in other experiments. The energy range affected by the pseudogap is doping and temperature independent. The integrated spectral loss is approximately 25% in underdoped samples and becomes much weaker towards higher carrier concentration. In underdoped samples, superconductivity related features in the spectra can be observed only in B2g symmetry. The peak frequencies scale with Tc. We do not find a direct relation between the pseudogap and the superconducting gap.Comment: RevTeX, 21 pages, 24 gif figures. For PostScript with embedded eps figures, see http://www.wmi.badw-muenchen.de/~opel/k2.htm

Magnetic Properties of YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} in a self-consistent approach: Comparison with Quantum-Monte-Carlo Simulations and Experiments

We analyze single-particle electronic and two-particle magnetic properties of the Hubbard model in the underdoped and optimally-doped regime of \YBCO by means of a modified version of the fluctuation-exchange approximation, which only includes particle-hole fluctuations. Comparison of our results with Quantum-Monte Carlo (QMC) calculations at relatively high temperatures ($T\sim 1000 K$) suggests to introduce a temperature renormalization in order to improve the agreement between the two methods at intermediate and large values of the interaction $U$. We evaluate the temperature dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time $T_1$ and of the spin-echo decay time $T_{2G}$ and compare it with the results of NMR measurements on an underdoped and an optimally doped \YBCO sample. For $U/t=4.5$ it is possible to consistently adjust the parameters of the Hubbard model in order to have a good {\it semi-quantitative} description of this temperature dependence for temperatures larger than the spin gap as obtained from NMR measurements. We also discuss the case $U/t\sim 8$, which is more appropriate to describe magnetic and single-particle properties close to half-filling. However, for this larger value of $U/t$ the agreement with QMC as well as with experiments at finite doping is less satisfactory.Comment: Final version, to appear in Phys. Rev. B (sched. Feb. 99

Doping dependence of the superconducting gap in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O{8 + delta}

Bi2Sr2CaCu2O{8 + \delta} crystals with varying hole concentrations (0.12 < p < 0.23) were studied to investigate the effects of doping on the symmetry and magnitude of the superconducting gap. Electronic Raman scattering experiments that sample regions of the Fermi surface near the diagonal (B_{2g}) and principal axes (B_{1g}) of the Brillouin Zone have been utilized. The frequency dependence of the Raman response function at low energies is found to be linear for B_{2g} and cubic for B_{1g} (T< T_c). The latter observations have led us to conclude that the doping dependence of the superconducting gap is consistent with d_{x^2-y^2} symmetry, for slightly underdoped and overdoped crystals. Studies of the pair-breaking peak found in the B_{1g} spectra demonstrate that the magnitude of the maximum gap decreases monotonically with increasing hole doping, for p > 0.12. Based on the magnitude of the B_{1g} renormalization, it is found that the number of quasiparticles participating in pairing increases monotonically with increased doping. On the other hand, the B_{2g} spectra show a weak "pair-breaking peak" that follows a parabolic-like dependence on hole concentration, for 0.12 < p < 0.23.Comment: 9 pages REvTex document including 8 eps figures; new table II; changes to Fig. 5 and tex