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

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

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

Coupling to a phononic mode in Bi2−xPbxSr2CaCu2O8+δBi_{2-x}Pb_xSr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta}: Angle-resolved photoemission

The kink in the dispersion and the drop in the width observed by angle-resolved photoemission in the nodal direction of the Brillouin zone of $\mathrm{Bi_{2-x}Pb_xSr_2CaCu_2O_{8+ \delta}}$ (abbreviated as (Pb)Bi2212) has attracted broad interest [1-3]. Surprisingly optimally lead-doped (Pb)Bi2212 with $\mathrm{T_C>89K}$ as well as the shadow band were not investigated so far, although the origin of the kink and the drop is still under strong debate. In this context a resonant magnetic-mode scenario and an electron-phonon coupling scenario are discussed controversially. Here we analyze the relevant differences between both scenarios and conclude that the kink and the drop are caused by a coupling of the electronic system to a phononic mode at least in the nodal direction. It is found that besides the dispersion and the drop in the width also the peak height as a new criterion can be used to define the energy scale of the interaction, giving a new means for a precise and consistent determination of the kink energy