211 research outputs found
Robust dx2-y2 pairing symmetry in high-temperature superconductors
Although initially quite controversial, it has been widely accepted that the
Cooper pairs in optimally doped cuprate superconductors have predominantly
dx2-y2 wavefunction symmetry. The controversy has now shifted to whether the
high-Tc pairing symmetry changes away from optimal doping. Here we present
phase-sensitive tricrystal experiments on three cuprate systems:
Y0.7Ca0.3Ba2Cu3O7-x (Ca-doped Y-123), La2-xSrxCuO4 (La-214) and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x
(Bi-2212),with doping levels covering the underdoped, optimal and overdoped
regions. Our work implies that time-reversal invariant, predominantly dx2-y2
pairing symmetry is robust over a large variation in doping, and underscores
the important role of on-site Coulomb repulsion in the making of
high-temperature superconductivity.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Lunar preform manufacturing
A design for a machine to produce hollow, continuous fiber reinforced composite rods of lunar glass and a liquid crystalline matrix using the pultrusion process is presented. The glass fiber will be produced from the lunar surface, with the machine and matrix being transported to the moon. The process is adaptable to the low gravity and near-vacuum environment of the moon through the use of a thermoplastic matrix in fiber form as it enters the pultrusion process. With a power consumption of 5k W, the proposed machine will run continuously, unmanned in fourteen day cycles, matching the length of moon days. A number of dies could be included that would allow the machine to produce rods of varying diameter, I-beams, angles, and other structural members. These members could then be used for construction on the lunar surface or transported for use in orbit. The benefits of this proposal are in the savings in weight of the cargo each lunar mission would carry. The supply of glass on the moon is effectively endless, so enough rods would have to be produced to justify its transportation, operation, and capital cost. This should not be difficult as weight on lunar mission is at a premium
Destroying coherence in high temperature superconductors with current flow
The loss of single-particle coherence going from the superconducting state to
the normal state in underdoped cuprates is a dramatic effect that has yet to be
understood. Here, we address this issue by performing angle resolved
photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements in the presence of a transport
current. We find that the loss of coherence is associated with the development
of an onset in the resistance, in that well before the midpoint of the
transition is reached, the sharp peaks in the ARPES spectra are completely
suppressed. Since the resistance onset is a signature of phase fluctuations,
this implies that the loss of single-particle coherence is connected with the
loss of long-range phase coherence.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Protected nodes and the collapse of the Fermi arcs in high Tc cuprates
Angle resolved photoemission on underdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 reveals that the
magnitude and d-wave anisotropy of the superconducting state energy gap are
independent of temperature all the way up to Tc. This lack of T variation of
the entire k-dependent gap is in marked contrast to mean field theory. At Tc
the point nodes of the d-wave gap abruptly expand into finite length ``Fermi
arcs''. This change occurs within the width of the resistive transition, and
thus the Fermi arcs are not simply thermally broadened nodes but rather a
unique signature of the pseudogap phase.Comment: Accepted by Phys. Rev. Let
The change of Fermi surface topology in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 with doping
We report the observation of a change in Fermi surface topology of
Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 with doping. By collecting high statistics ARPES data from
moderately and highly overdoped samples and dividing the data by the Fermi
function, we answer a long standing question about the Fermi surface shape of
Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 close to the (pi,0) point. For moderately overdoped samples
(Tc=80K) we find that both the bonding and antibonding sheets of the Fermi
surface are hole-like. However for a doping level corresponding to Tc=55K we
find that the antibonding sheet becomes electron-like. This change does not
directly affect the critical temperature and therefore the superconductivity.
However, since similar observations of the change of the topology of the Fermi
surface were observed in LSCO and Bi2Sr2Cu2O6, it appears to be a generic
feature of hole-doped superconductors. Because of bilayer splitting, though,
this doping value is considerably lower than that for the single layer
materials, which again argues that it is unrelated to Tc
Identifying the Background Signal in ARPES of High Temperature Superconductors
One of the interesting features of the photoemission spectra of the high
temperature cuprate superconductors is the presence of a large signal (referred
to as the "background'') in the unoccupied region of the Brillouin zone. Here
we present data indicating that the origin of this signal is extrinsic and is
most likely due to strong scattering of the photoelectrons. We also present an
analytical method that can be used to subtract the background signal
Momentum anisotropy of the scattering rate in cuprate superconductors
We examine the momentum and energy dependence of the scattering rate of the
high temperature cuprate superconductors using angle resolved photoemission
spectroscopy. The scattering rate is of the form a + b*w. The inelastic
coefficient b is found to be isotropic. The elastic term, a, however, is found
to be highly anisotropic in the pseudogap phase of optimal doped samples, with
an anisotropy which correlates with that of the pseudogap. This can be
contrasted with heavily overdoped samples, which show an isotropic scattering
rate in the normal state
The in-plane electrodynamics of the superconductivity in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d: energy scales and spectral weight distribution
The in-plane infrared and visible (3 meV-3 eV) reflectivity of
Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d (Bi-2212) thin films is measured between 300 K and 10 K for
different doping levels with unprecedented accuracy. The optical conductivity
is derived through an accurate fitting procedure. We study the transfer of
spectral weight from finite energy into the superfluid as the system becomes
superconducting. In the over-doped regime, the superfluid develops at the
expense of states lying below 60 meV, a conventional energy of the order of a
few times the superconducting gap. In the underdoped regime, spectral weight is
removed from up to 2 eV, far beyond any conventional scale. The intraband
spectral weight change between the normal and superconducting state, if
analyzed in terms of a change of kinetic energy is ~1 meV. Compared to the
condensation energy, this figure addresses the issue of a kinetic energy driven
mechanism.Comment: 13 pages with 9 figures include
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