An angle-resolved photoemission spectral function analysis of the electron doped cuprate Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO_4

Using methods made possible by recent advances in photoemission technology, we perform an indepth line-shape analysis of the angle-resolved photoemission spectra of the electron doped (n-type) cuprate superconductor Nd_1.85Ce_0.15CuO_4. Unlike for the p-type materials, we only observe weak mass renormalizations near 50-70 meV. This may be indicative of smaller electron-phonon coupling or due to the masking effects of other interactions that make the electron-phonon coupling harder to detect. This latter scenario may suggest limitations of the spectral function analysis in extracting electronic self-energies when some of the interactions are highly momentum dependent.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Nernst Effect in Electron-Doped Pr2−x_{2-x}Cex_{x}CuO4_4

The Nernst effect of Pr$_{2-x}$Ce$_{x}$CuO$_4$ (x=0.13, 0.15, and 0.17) has been measured on thin film samples between 5-120 K and 0-14 T. In comparison to recent measurements on hole-doped cuprates that showed an anomalously large Nernst effect above the resistive T$_c$ and H$_{c2}$ \cite{xu,wang1,wang2,capan}, we find a normal Nernst effect above T$_c$ and H$_{c2}$ for all dopings. The lack of an anomalous Nernst effect in the electron-doped compounds supports the models that explain this effect in terms of amplitude and phase fluctuations in the hole-doped cuprates. In addition, the H$_{c2}$(T) determined from the Nernst effect shows a conventional behavior for all dopings. The energy gap determined from H$_{c2}$(0) decreases as the system goes from under-doping to over-dopingin agreement with the recent tunnelling experiments

Hot Spots and Transition from d-Wave to Another Pairing Symmetry in the Electron-Doped Cuprate Superconductors

We present a simple theoretical explanation for a transition from d-wave to another superconducting pairing observed in the electron-doped cuprates. The d_{x^2-y^2} pairing potential Delta, which has the maximal magnitude and opposite signs at the hot spots on the Fermi surface, becomes suppressed with the increase of electron doping, because the hot spots approach the Brillouin zone diagonals, where Delta vanishes. Then, the d_{x^2-y^2} pairing is replaced by either singlet s-wave or triplet p-wave pairing. We argue in favor of the latter and discuss experiments to uncover it.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, RevTeX 4. V.2: Extra figure and many references added. V.3: Minor update of references for the proof

Water sensitive urban design in the city of the future

With timeframes for addressing the issues of the City of the Future (CotF) rapidly approaching (e.g. 2020, 2025, 2050), this paper integrates international research knowledge and expertise from four continents. It critically evaluates the role of water sensitive urban design (WSUD) in the CotF in terms of overlapping theory and practice. The aspirations of water sensitive cities are reviewed and multiple drivers for applying WSUD are described from developing and developed country perspectives In addition, the potential for WSUD to support cities in ‘leap-frogging’ towards their visions are explored. The role of WSUD within the wider context of achieving sustainable living objectives (e.g. greater resilience, low carbon living, sustainable transportation, local food supply and social stability) is debated and the concept of the ‘multi-objective city’ introduced. Conclusions are drawn regarding opportunities for the WSUD process to provide a framework within which professionals from many disciplines can support landscape architects and urban planners in achieving multiobjective liveable cities are identified

Possible Z2 phase and spin-charge separation in electron doped cuprate superconductors

The SU(2) slave-boson mean-field theory for the tt'J model is analyzed. The role of next-nearest-neighbor hopping t' on the phase-diagram is studied. We find a pseudogap phase in hole-doped materials (where t'<0). The pseudo-gap phase is a U(1) spin liquid (the staggered-flux phase) with a U(1) gauge interaction and no fractionalization. This agrees with experiments on hole doped samples. The same calculation also indicates that a positive t' favors a Z2 state with true spin-charge separation. The Z2 state that exists when t' > 0.5J can be a candidate for the pseudo-gap phase of electron-doped cuprates (if such a phase exists). The experimental situation in electron-doped materials is also addressed.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, RevTeX4. Homepage http://dao.mit.edu/~wen

Cluster Perturbation Theory for Hubbard models

Cluster perturbation theory is a technique for calculating the spectral weight of Hubbard models of strongly correlated electrons, which combines exact diagonalizations on small clusters with strong-coupling perturbation theory at leading order. It is exact in both the strong- and weak-coupling limits and provides a good approximation to the spectral function at any wavevector. Following the paper by S\'en\'echal et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 84}, 522 (2000)), we provide a more complete description and derivation of the method. We illustrate some of its capabilities, in particular regarding the effect of doping, the calculation of ground state energy and double occupancy, the disappearance of the Fermi surface in the $t-t'$ Hubbard model, and so on. The method is applicable to any model with on-site repulsion only.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures (RevTeX 4

Raman light scattering study and microstructural analysis of epitaxial films of the electron-doped superconductor La_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4}

We present a detailed temperature-dependent Raman light scattering study of optical phonons in molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown films of the electron-doped superconductor La_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4} close to optimal doping (x ~ 0.08, T_c = 29 K and x ~ 0.1, T_c = 27 K). The main focus of this work is a detailed characterization and microstructural analysis of the films. Based on micro-Raman spectroscopy in combination with x-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive x-ray analysis, and scanning electron microscopy, some of the observed phonon modes can be attributed to micron-sized inclusions of Cu_{2}O. In the slightly underdoped film (x ~ 0.08), both the Cu_{2}O modes and others that can be assigned to the La_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4} matrix show pronounced softening and narrowing upon cooling below T ~ T_c. Based on control measurements on commercial Cu_{2}O powders and on a comparison to prior Raman scattering studies of other high-temperature superconductors, we speculate that proximity effects at La_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4}/Cu_{2}O interfaces may be responsible for these anomalies. Experiments on the slightly overdoped La_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4} film (x ~ 0.1) did not reveal comparable phonon anomalies.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Fully Gapped Single-Particle Excitations in the Lightly Doped Cuprates

The low-energy excitations of the lightly doped cuprates were studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. A finite gap was measured over the entire Brillouin zone, including along the d_{x^2 - y^2} nodal line. This effect was observed to be generic to the normal states of numerous cuprates, including hole-doped La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} and Ca_{2-x}Na_{x}CuO_{2}Cl_{2} and electron-doped Nd_{2-x}Ce_{x}CuO_{4}. In all compounds, the gap appears to close with increasing carrier doping. We consider various scenarios to explain our results, including the possible effects of chemical disorder, electronic inhomogeneity, and a competing phase.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.

From nodal liquid to nodal Mottness in a frustrated Hubbard model

We investigate the physics of frustrated 3-leg Hubbard ladders in the band limit, when hopping across the ladder's rungs (t$_{\perp}$) is of the same order as hopping along them (t) much greater than the onsite Coulomb repulsion (U). We show that this model exhibits a striking electron-hole asymmetry close to half-filling: the hole-doped system at low temperatures develops a Resonating Valence Bond (RVB)-like d-wave gap (pseudogap close to ($\pi$,0)) coinciding with gapless nodal excitations (nodal liquid); in contrast, the electron-doped system is seen to develop a Mott gap at the nodes, whilst retaining a metallic character of its majority Fermi surface. At lower temperatures in the electron-doped case, d-wave superconducting correlations -- here, coexisting with gapped nodal excitations -- are already seen to arise. Upon further doping the hole-doped case, the RVB-like state yields to d-wave superconductivity. Such physics is reminiscent of that exhibited by the high temperature cuprate superconductors--notably electron-hole asymmetry as noted by Angle Resolved PhotoEmission Spectroscopy (ARPES) and the resistivity exponents observed. This toy model also reinforces the importance of a more thorough experimental investigation of the known 3-leg ladder cuprate systems, and may have some bearing on low dimensional organic superconductors.Comment: 26 pages, 16 figure

Electron Dynamics in Nd1.85_{1.85}Ce.15_{.15}CuO4+δ_{4+\delta}: Evidence for the Pseudogap State and Unconventional c-axis Response

Infrared reflectance measurements were made with light polarized along the a- and c-axis of both superconducting and antiferromagnetic phases of electron doped Nd$_{1.85}$Ce$_{.15}$CuO$_{4+\delta}$. The results are compared to characteristic features of the electromagnetic response in hole doped cuprates. Within the CuO$_2$ planes the frequency dependent scattering rate, 1/$\tau(\omega)$, is depressed below $\sim$ 650 cm$^{-1}$; this behavior is a hallmark of the pseudogap state. While in several hole doped compounds the energy scales associated with the pseudogap and superconducting states are quite close, we are able to show that in Nd$_{1.85}$Ce$_{.15}$CuO$_{4+\delta}$ the two scales differ by more than one order of magnitude. Another feature of the in-plane charge response is a peak in the real part of the conductivity, $\sigma_1(\omega)$, at 50-110 cm$^{-1}$ which is in sharp contrast with the Drude-like response where $\sigma_1(\omega)$ is centered at $\omega=0$. This latter effect is similar to what is found in disordered hole doped cuprates and is discussed in the context of carrier localization. Examination of the c-axis conductivity gives evidence for an anomalously broad frequency range from which the interlayer superfluid is accumulated. Compelling evidence for the pseudogap state as well as other characteristics of the charge dynamics in Nd$_{1.85}$Ce$_{.15}$CuO$_{4+\delta}$ signal global similarities of the cuprate phase diagram with respect to electron and hole doping.Comment: Submitted to PR