M.R. Presland

Bio: M.R. Presland is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Oxygen & Superconductivity. The author has an hindex of 15, co-authored 25 publications receiving 1663 citations.

General trends in oxygen stoichiometry effects on Tc in Bi and Tl superconductors

Abstract: We have previously shown that Tc for Bi2 (Sr, Ca)n+1CunO2n+4+δ (n=1, 2 and 3) varies with oxygen stoichiometry δ determined by annealing in a variety of oxygen partial pressures and temperatures. Annealing results are now also presented for several Tl-superconductors in the series Tlm(Ba, Sr)2Can−1CunO2n+m+2+δ, for both m=1 and 2, revealing two general results for this class of Bi or TI superconductors: (1) effects on Tc due to labile oxygen occur for all m=2 compounds but are absent in m = 1 compounds with Sr. m=1 compounds with Ba do have variable oxygen but the effects on the c-axis are the opposite to m=2 compounds. This suggests for the latter that the labile oxygen resides in interstitial sites within the Bi2O2 or Tl2O2 bi layers; (2) the hole concentration per Cu decreases in progressing from n = 1 to 2 to 3 in either class so that the parent n = 3 and n = 2 compounds lie respectively on the low- and high-hole concentration sides of the peak in Tc while the n = 1 compounds extend out into the non-superconducting domain at very high hole concentration.

High- T c superconducting phases in the series Bi 2.1 (Ca, Sr) n+l Cu n O 2n+4+δ

Abstract: Following the report of Maeda et al.1 on high-Tc superconductivity in samples of nominal composition BiSrCaCu2Ox we have identified three distinct phases in the homologous series Bi2.1(Ca, Sr)n+lCunO2n+4+δ with n = 1,2 and 3. These have zero resistance Tcs of 80 K, 91 K and 105 K respectively. The structures in the homologous series appear to be based on alternating double bismuth Bi2O2 layers and perovskite (Sr, Ca)O–CuO2 layers, with higher members obtained by intercalating additional 3.1 A Ca-CuO2 bilayers. The structures can be indexed on a pseudo-tetragonal subcell with a = b = 5.4 A and c = 24.4 A (n = 1), 30.76 A (n = 2) or 36 A (n = 3). We were unable to prepare the n =4 member. In each structure a 2× superlattice structure in the c-direction arises as a natural consequence of a 19/4 incommensurate structure in the b direction, which accounts for 2.1 Bi atoms in the unit formula. The critical temperature, Tc, for these phases is sharply dependent on the Sr/Ca ratio and oxygen stoichiometry, as determined by heat treatment.

The influence of oxygen on the physical properties of the superconducting series Bi2.1(CaχSr1−χ)n+1Cun+4+δ

Abstract: The sensitivity of Tc to oxygen sorption and the Ca to Sr ratio has been studied for the homologous series Bi2.1(CaχSr1−χ)n+1CunO2n+4+δ for n=1, 2 and 3. The n=0 and n=∞ members have been produced as single phase samples but are found to be semiconducting. While single phase n=2 material has been prepared, the n=1 member always displays a small n=2 contribution to the X-ray diffraction pattern. n=3 is only found in multiphase samples. Single phase superconducting samples were equilibrated under a fixed partial pressure of oxygen at temperatures between 300 and 850°C and quenched in liquid nitrogen. It is shown that Tc can be controlled in a reversible and systematic way by varying the oxygen partial pressure and the annealing temperature and consequently the oxygen stoichiometry. The site energy per oxygen sorbed for n=2 is 3.24 eV, only a little less than that for YBa2Cu3O7. However, the volume change on sorption is ten times smaller than that for YBa2Cu3O7, and is manifested as a changing c-axis with the a-axis invariant. This can be interpreted as implying that oxygen sorption occurs within the Bi-O layers. Tc is found to be maximised for a Ca to Sr ratio of 1 to 2 for both n=1 and 2. Thermal expansion data for n=2 material is also reported to illustrate that oxygen sorption does effect the physical properties of these materials.

Bulk superconducting Y 2 Ba 4 Cu 7 O 15-δ and YBa 2 Cu 4 O 8 prepared in oxygen at 1 atm

Abstract: Synthesis of bulk Y{sub 2}Ba{sub 4}Cu{sub 7}O{sub 15-{delta}} and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 8} high-{ital T}{sub {ital c}} superconductors at atmospheric pressure, without the addition of alkali rate enhancers, is reported. The superconducting transition temperature for Y{sub 2}Ba{sub 4}Cu{sub 7}O{sub 15-{delta}} is shown to depend on oxygen stoichiometry, with the resistive onset observed above 90 K. The YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 8} phase has zero resistance {ital T}{sub {ital c}} close to 80 K. A modified Y-Ba-Cu-O {ital P}-{ital T} phase diagram is presented.

Ca- and La-substitution in YBa2Cu3O7−ξ, Y2Ba4Cu7O15−ξ and YBa2Cu4O8

Abstract: We report the preparation and characterization of the homologous series of high temperature superconductors, Y2Ba4Cu6+nO14+n−ξ with n=0 (123), n=1 (247) and n=2 (124) as a function of Ca and La substitution through measurement of Tc, lattice parameters, selected Rietveld refinements and thermogravimetric analysis. Solubility limits of Ca and La are investigated and found to be widely different for each member. Data is presented showing that Ca substitutes on both the Y- and Ba- sites and as the Ca concentration increases the relative fraction on the Y site decreases. Systematic trends indicate that for n=0 123 is slightly overdoped, 247 is slightly underdoped and 124 is well underdoped relative to Tc(max) such that 0.06 La substitution, 0.04 Ca substitution and 0.15 Ca substitution is required to maximise Tc in 123, 247 and 124, respectively. Differences in the orthorhombicity between the members of the series as a function of substitution are interpreted in terms of differences in hole doping and in oxygen stoichoimetry for each member. For instance, the observed rapid decrease in the orthorhombicity in 124 at a high La content is interpreted as evidence that oxygen loads into the interchain site. This destabilises the ribbons leading to the formation of tetragonal 123.

Angle-resolved photoemission studies of the cuprate superconductors

Abstract: 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.

The pseudogap in high-temperature superconductors: an experimental survey

Abstract: We present an experimental review of the nature of the pseudogap in the cuprate superconductors. Evidence from various experimental techniques points to a common phenomenology. The pseudogap is seen in all high-temperature superconductors and there is general agreement on the temperature and doping range where it exists. It is also becoming clear that the superconducting gap emerges from the normal state pseudogap. The d-wave nature of the order parameter holds for both the superconducting gap and the pseudogap. Although an extensive body of evidence is reviewed, a consensus on the origin of the pseudogap is as lacking as it is for the mechanism underlying high-temperature superconductivity.

How to detect fluctuating stripes in the high-temperature superconductors

Abstract: This article discusses fluctuating order in a quantum disordered phase proximate to a quantum critical point, with particular emphasis on fluctuating stripe order. Optimal strategies are derived for extracting information concerning such local order from experiments, with emphasis on neutron scattering and scanning tunneling microscopy. These ideas are tested by application to two model systems---an exactly solvable one-dimensional (1D) electron gas with an impurity, and a weakly interacting 2D electron gas. Experiments on the cuprate high-temperature superconductors which can be analyzed using these strategies are extensively reviewed. The authors adduce evidence that stripe correlations are widespread in the cuprates. They compare and contrast the advantages of two limiting perspectives on the high-temperature superconductor: weak coupling, in which correlation effects are treated as a perturbation on an underlying metallic (although renormalized) Fermi-liquid state, and strong coupling, in which the magnetism is associated with well-defined localized spins, and stripes are viewed as a form of micro phase separation. The authors present quantitative indicators that the latter view better accounts for the observed stripe phenomena in the cuprates.

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of high-temperature superconductors

Abstract: Tunneling spectroscopy has played a central role in the experimental verification of the microscopic theory of superconductivity in classical superconductors. Initial attempts to apply the same approach to high-temperature superconductors were hampered by various problems related to the complexity of these materials. The use of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM and STS) on these compounds allowed the main difficulties to be overcome. This success motivated a rapidly growing scientific community to apply this technique to high-temperature superconductors. This paper reviews the experimental highlights obtained over the last decade. The crucial efforts to gain control over the technique and to obtain reproducible results are first recalled. Then a discussion on how the STM and STS techniques have contributed to the study of some of the most unusual and remarkable properties of high-temperature superconductors is presented: the unusually large gap values and the absence of scaling with the critical temperature, the pseudogap and its relation to superconductivity, the unprecedented small size of the vortex cores and its influence on vortex matter, the unexpected electronic properties of the vortex cores, and the combination of atomic resolution and spectroscopy leading to the observation of periodic local density of states modulations in the superconducting and pseudogap states and in the vortex cores.

General trends in oxygen stoichiometry effects on Tc in Bi and Tl superconductors

Abstract: We have previously shown that Tc for Bi2 (Sr, Ca)n+1CunO2n+4+δ (n=1, 2 and 3) varies with oxygen stoichiometry δ determined by annealing in a variety of oxygen partial pressures and temperatures. Annealing results are now also presented for several Tl-superconductors in the series Tlm(Ba, Sr)2Can−1CunO2n+m+2+δ, for both m=1 and 2, revealing two general results for this class of Bi or TI superconductors: (1) effects on Tc due to labile oxygen occur for all m=2 compounds but are absent in m = 1 compounds with Sr. m=1 compounds with Ba do have variable oxygen but the effects on the c-axis are the opposite to m=2 compounds. This suggests for the latter that the labile oxygen resides in interstitial sites within the Bi2O2 or Tl2O2 bi layers; (2) the hole concentration per Cu decreases in progressing from n = 1 to 2 to 3 in either class so that the parent n = 3 and n = 2 compounds lie respectively on the low- and high-hole concentration sides of the peak in Tc while the n = 1 compounds extend out into the non-superconducting domain at very high hole concentration.