A stable and reproducible superconductivity transition between 80 and 93 K has been unambiguously observed both resistively and magnetically in a new Y-Ba-Cu-O compound system at ambient pressure. An estimated upper critical field H c2(0) between 80 and 180 T was obtained.

https://link.aps.org/pdf/10.1103/PhysRevLett.58.908

Superconductivity at 93 K in a new mixed-phase Y-Ba-Cu-O compound system at ambient pressure

The oxide superconductors, particularly those recently discovered that are based on La2CuO4have a set of peculiarities that suggest a common, unique mechanism: they tend in every case to occur near a metal-insulator transition into an odd-electron insulator with peculiar magnetic properties. This insulating phase is proposed to be the long-sought “resonating-valence-bond” state or “quantum spin liquid” hypothesized in 1973. This insulating magnetic phase is favored by low spin, low dimensionality, and magnetic frustration. The preexisting magnetic singlet pairs of the insulating state become charged superconducting pairs when the insulator is doped sufficiently strongly. The mechanism for superconductivity is hence predominantly electronic and magnetic, although weak phonon interactions may favor the state. Many unusual properties are predicted, especially of the insulating state.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/235/4793/1196.full.pdf

The resonating valence bond state in La2CuO4 and superconductivity

The field of chemical sensing is becoming ever more dependent upon novel materials. Polymers, crystals, glasses, particles, and nanostructures have made a profound impact and have endowed modern sensory systems with superior performance. Electronic polymers have emerged as one of the most important classes of transduction materials; they readily transform a chemical signal into an easily measured electrical or optical event. Although our group reviewed this field in 2000,1 the high levels of activity and the impact of these methods now justify a subsequent review as part of this special issue. In this review we restrict our discussions to purely fluorescence-based methods using conjugated polymers (CPs). We further confine our detailed coverage to articles published since our previous review and will only detail earlier research in this Introduction to illustrate fundamental concepts and terminology that underpin the recent literature.

Chemical sensors based on amplifying fluorescent conjugated polymers.

This article reviews the physics of high-temperature superconductors from the point of view of the doping of a Mott insulator. The basic electronic structure of cuprates is reviewed, emphasizing the physics of strong correlation and establishing the model of a doped Mott insulator as a starting point. A variety of experiments are discussed, focusing on the region of the phase diagram close to the Mott insulator (the underdoped region) where the behavior is most anomalous. The normal state in this region exhibits pseudogap phenomenon. In contrast, the quasiparticles in the superconducting state are well defined and behave according to theory. This review introduces Anderson's idea of the resonating valence bond and argues that it gives a qualitative account of the data. The importance of phase fluctuations is discussed, leading to a theory of the transition temperature, which is driven by phase fluctuations and the thermal excitation of quasiparticles. However, an argument is made that phase fluctuations can only explain pseudogap phenomenology over a limited temperature range, and some additional physics is needed to explain the onset of singlet formation at very high temperatures. A description of the numerical method of the projected wave function is presented, which turns out to be a very useful technique for implementing the strong correlation constraint and leads to a number of predictions which are in agreement with experiments. The remainder of the paper deals with an analytic treatment of the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model, with the goal of putting the resonating valence bond idea on a more formal footing. The slave boson is introduced to enforce the constraint againt double occupation and it is shown that the implementation of this local constraint leads naturally to gauge theories. This review follows the historical order by first examining the U(1) formulation of the gauge theory. Some inadequacies of this formulation for underdoping are discussed, leading to the SU(2) formulation. Here follows a rather thorough discussion of the role of gauge theory in describing the spin-liquid phase of the undoped Mott insulator. The difference between the high-energy gauge group in the formulation of the problem versus the low-energy gauge group, which is an emergent phenomenon, is emphasized. Several possible routes to deconfinement based on different emergent gauge groups are discussed, which leads to the physics of fractionalization and spin-charge separation. Next the extension of the SU(2) formulation to nonzero doping is described with a focus on a part of the mean-field phase diagram called the staggered flux liquid phase. It will be shown that inclusion of the gauge fluctuation provides a reasonable description of the pseudogap phase. It is emphasized that $d$-wave superconductivity can be considered as evolving from a stable U(1) spin liquid. These ideas are applied to the high-${T}_{c}$ cuprates, and their implications for the vortex structure and the phase diagram are discussed. A possible test of the topological structure of the pseudogap phase is described.

/pdf/doping-a-mott-insulator-physics-of-high-temperature-55r49vtp31.pdf

Doping a Mott insulator: Physics of high-temperature superconductivity

The last decade witnessed significant progress in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and its applications. Today, ARPES experiments with 2-meV energy resolution and $0.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ angular resolution are a reality even for photoemission on solids. These technological advances and the improved sample quality have enabled ARPES to emerge as a leading tool in the investigation of the high-${T}_{c}$ superconductors. This paper reviews the most recent ARPES results on the cuprate superconductors and their insulating parent and sister compounds, with the purpose of providing an updated summary of the extensive literature. The low-energy excitations are discussed with emphasis on some of the most relevant issues, such as the Fermi surface and remnant Fermi surface, the superconducting gap, the pseudogap and $d$-wave-like dispersion, evidence of electronic inhomogeneity and nanoscale phase separation, the emergence of coherent quasiparticles through the superconducting transition, and many-body effects in the one-particle spectral function due to the interaction of the charge with magnetic and/or lattice degrees of freedom. Given the dynamic nature of the field, we chose to focus mainly on reviewing the experimental data, as on the experimental side a general consensus has been reached, whereas interpretations and related theoretical models can vary significantly. The first part of the paper introduces photoemission spectroscopy in the context of strongly interacting systems, along with an update on the state-of-the-art instrumentation. The second part provides an overview of the scientific issues relevant to the investigation of the low-energy electronic structure by ARPES. The rest of the paper is devoted to the experimental results from the cuprates, and the discussion is organized along conceptual lines: normal-state electronic structure, interlayer interaction, superconducting gap, coherent superconducting peak, pseudogap, electron self-energy, and collective modes. Within each topic, ARPES data from the various copper oxides are presented.

https://arxiv.org/pdf/cond-mat/0208504.pdf

Angle-resolved photoemission studies of the cuprate superconductors

An apparent superconducting transition with an onset temperature above 40 K has been detected under pressure in the La-Ba-Cu-O compound system synthesized directly from a solid-state reaction of La2O3, CuO, and BaCO3 followed by a decomposition of the mixture in a reduced atmosphere. The experiment is described and the results of effects of magnetic field and pressure are discussed.

Evidence for superconductivity above 40 K in the La-Ba-Cu-O compound system.

Superconductivity has been found in the 90-K range in ABa2Cu3O(6 + x) with A = La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er, and Lu in addition to Y. The results suggest that the unique square-planar Cu atoms, each surrounded by four or six oxygen atoms, are crucial to the superconductivity of oxides in general. In particular, the high Tc of ABa2Cu3O(6 + x) is attributed mainly to the quasi-two-dimensional assembly of the CuO2-Ba-CuO(2 + x)Ba-CuO2 layers sandwiched between two A layers, with particular emphasis in the CuO(2 + x) layers. Higher-Tc oxides are predicted for compounds with bigger assemblies of CuO2 layers coupled by Ba layers.

Superconductivity above 90 K in the square-planar compound system ABa2Cu3O6+x with A=Y, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er and Lu.

The superconducting transition temperatures (${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$'s) of optimally doped ${\mathrm{HgBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ca}}_{\mathit{m}\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{\mathit{m}}$${\mathrm{O}}_{2\mathit{m}+2+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ (Hg 1:2:m-1:m) with m=1, 2, and 3 and ${\mathrm{Hg}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Pb}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ [Hg(xPb) 1:2:2:3] have been investigated resistively under quasihydrostatic pressures up to 45 GPa. There seems to be a universal upward shift of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ under pressure, regardless of m, for all Hg 1:2:m-1:m, implying a common origin for all compounds. Record high ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$'s of 164, 154, and 118 K were reached for the optimally doped Hg 1:2:m-1:m with m=3, 2, and 1, respectively. However, the ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ enhancement is suppressed by Pb substitution, suggesting the possibility that Hg plays an important role in these compounds.

Superconductivity up to 164 K in HgBa2Cam-1CumO2m+2+ delta (m=1, 2, and 3) under quasihydrostatic pressures.

RECENTLY, superconductivity at >130 K was reported1,2 in multiphase samples of the compound system HgBa2Can−1CunO2n+2+δ (Hg-12(n−l)n) with n = 1, 2, 3,.... Single-phase Hg-1223 was subsequently synthesized and found to be superconducting at a record temperature of 135 K (ref. 3). It remains to be seen if a much higher transition temperature (Tc) than 135K can be achieved in this compound system. The application of pressure generally increases the Tc of underdoped layered cuprates, with a pressure derivative of Tc that decreases with increasing doping4,5. Preliminary studies on Hg-12236 showed a pressure-induced increase in Tc without any sign of saturation up to 17 kbar. Here we report the observation of superconductivity at up to 153 K in Hg-1223 at 150 kbar, with a main transition at 147 K. This observation provides an indication that superconductivity at >150 K may be possible in this system at ambient pressure, if suitable forms of chemical substitution can be found.

Li Gao

Papers

Superconductivity at 93 K in a new mixed-phase Y-Ba-Cu-O compound system at ambient pressure

Evidence for superconductivity above 40 K in the La-Ba-Cu-O compound system.

Superconductivity above 90 K in the square-planar compound system ABa2Cu3O6+x with A=Y, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er and Lu.

Superconductivity up to 164 K in HgBa2Cam-1CumO2m+2+ delta (m=1, 2, and 3) under quasihydrostatic pressures.

Superconductivity above 150 K in HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ at high pressures