Showing papers on "High-temperature superconductivity published in 2018"

A Superconducting Dual‐Channel Photonic Switch

Abstract: The mechanism of Cooper pair formation and its underlying physics has long occupied the investigation into high temperature (high-Tc ) cuprate superconductors. One of the ways to unravel this is to observe the ultrafast response present in the charge carrier dynamics of a photoexcited specimen. This results in an interesting approach to exploit the dissipation-less dynamic features of superconductors to be utilized for designing high-performance active subwavelength photonic devices with extremely low-loss operation. Here, dual-channel, ultrafast, all-optical switching and modulation between the resistive and the superconducting quantum mechanical phase is experimentally demonstrated. The ultrafast phase switching is demonstrated via modulation of sharp Fano resonance of a high-Tc yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) superconducting metamaterial device. Upon photoexcitation by femtosecond light pulses, the ultrasensitive cuprate superconductor undergoes dual dissociation-relaxation dynamics, with restoration of superconductivity within a cycle, and thereby establishes the existence of dual switching windows within a timescale of 80 ps. Pathways are explored to engineer the secondary dissociation channel which provides unprecedented control over the switching speed. Most importantly, the results envision new ways to accomplish low-loss, ultrafast, and ultrasensitive dual-channel switching applications that are inaccessible through conventional metallic and dielectric based metamaterials.

Three dimensional collective charge excitations in electron-doped cuprate superconductors

Abstract: High temperature cuprate superconductors consist of stacked CuO2 planes, with primarily two dimensional electronic band structures and magnetic excitations, while superconducting coherence is three dimensional. This dichotomy highlights the importance of out-of-plane charge dynamics, believed to be incoherent in the normal state, yet lacking a comprehensive characterization in energy-momentum space. Here, we use resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) with polarization analysis to uncover the pure charge character of a recently discovered collective mode in electron-doped cuprates. This mode disperses along both the in- and, importantly, out-of-plane directions, revealing its three dimensional nature. The periodicity of the out-of-plane dispersion corresponds to the CuO2 plane distance rather than the crystallographic c-axis lattice constant, suggesting that the interplane Coulomb interaction drives the coherent out-of-plane charge dynamics. The observed properties are hallmarks of the long-sought acoustic plasmon, predicted for layered systems and argued to play a substantial role in mediating high temperature superconductivity.

Unidirectional spin density wave state in metallic (Sr1-xLa x )2IrO4.

Abstract: Materials that exhibit both strong spin–orbit coupling and electron correlation effects are predicted to host numerous new electronic states. One prominent example is the Jeff = 1/2 Mott state in Sr2IrO4, where introducing carriers is predicted to manifest high temperature superconductivity analogous to the S = 1/2 Mott state of La2CuO4. While bulk superconductivity currently remains elusive, anomalous quasiparticle behaviors paralleling those in the cuprates such as pseudogap formation and the formation of a d-wave gap are observed upon electron-doping Sr2IrO4. Here we establish a magnetic parallel between electron-doped Sr2IrO4 and hole-doped La2CuO4 by unveiling a spin density wave state in electron-doped Sr2IrO4. Our magnetic resonant X-ray scattering data reveal the presence of an incommensurate magnetic state reminiscent of the diagonal spin density wave state observed in the monolayer cuprate (La1−xSr x )2CuO4. This link supports the conjecture that the quenched Mott phases in electron-doped Sr2IrO4 and hole-doped La2CuO4 support common competing electronic phases. Electron-doped Sr2IrO4 is an intriguing material for searching for an unconventional superconducting state. Here the authors demonstrate that a spin density wave state exists in the metallic phase of electron-doped Sr2IrO4 which provides a link between the electronic phase diagrams of the hole-doped cuprates and the electron-doped iridates.

Unidirectional spin density wave state in metallic (Sr1-xLax)2IrO4

Abstract: Materials that exhibit both strong spin orbit coupling and electron correlation effects are predicted to host numerous new electronic states. One prominent example is the Jeff =1/2 Mott state in Sr2IrO4, where introducing carriers is predicted to manifest high temperature superconductivity analogous to the S=1/2 Mott state of La2CuO4. While bulk superconductivity currently remains elusive, anomalous quasi-particle behaviors paralleling those in the cuprates such as pseudogap formation and the formation of a d-wave gap are observed upon electron-doping Sr2IrO4. Here we establish a magnetic parallel between electron-doped Sr2IrO4 and hole-doped La2CuO4 by unveiling a spin density wave state in electron-doped Sr2IrO4. Our magnetic resonant x-ray scattering data reveal the presence of an incommensurate magnetic state reminiscent of the diagonal spin density wave state observed in the monolayer cuprate (La1-xSrx)2CuO4. This link supports the conjecture that the quenched Mott phases in electron-doped Sr2IrO4 and hole-doped La2CuO4 support common competing electronic phases.

Can high-Tc superconductivity in cuprates be explained by the conventional BCS theory?

Abstract: For overdoped cuprates, it is believed that the normal state behaves as an ordinary Fermi liquid while the superconducting state conforms to the BCS theory. We have put these beliefs to the test by a comprehensive experiment in which over two thousand cuprate films were synthesized by molecular beam epitaxy and studied in great detail and precision. Here, we compare our key experimental results to various proposed explanations based on BCS theory extended to dirty d-wave superconductors, including the cases of strong (unitary) and weak (Born) scattering on impurities. The discrepancies seem insurmountable, and point to the need to develop the theory further, likely beyond the canonical BCS paradigm.

Interface enhanced superconductivity in monolayer FeSe films on MgO(001): charge transfer with atomic substitution

Abstract: Interface enhanced superconductivity over 50 K has been discovered in monolayer FeSe films grown on several TiO2-terminated oxide substrates. Whether such phenomenon exists in other oxide substrates remains an extremely interesting topic. Here we report enhanced superconductivity with an onset transition temperature of 18 K in monolayer FeSe on MgO(001) substrate by transport measurement. Scanning transmission electron microscopy investigation on the interface structure indicates that FeSe films grow epitaxially on MgO(001) and that overlayer Fe atoms diffuse into the top two layers of MgO and substitute Mg atoms. Our density functional theory calculations reveal that this substitution promotes the charge transfer from the MgO substrate to the FeSe films, an essential process that also occurs in monolayer FeSe on TiO2-terminated oxides and contributes to the enhanced superconductivity therein. Our finding suggests that superconductivity enhancement in monolayer FeSe films on oxides substrates is rather general as long as charge transfer is allowed at the interface, thus pointing out an explicit direction for searching for new high temperature superconductivity by interface engineering.

Electronic band structure of optimal superconductors: From cuprates to ferropnictides and back again (Review Article)

Abstract: While the beginning decade of the high-Tc cuprates era passed under domination of local theories, Abrikosov was one of the few who took seriously the electronic band structure of cuprates, stressing the importance of an extended Van Hove singularity near the Fermi level. These ideas have not been widely accepted that time mainly because of a lack of experimental evidence for correlation between saddle point position and superconductivity. In this short contribution, based on the detailed comparison of the electronic band structures of different families of cuprates and iron-based superconductors I argue that a general mechanism of the Tc enhancement in all known high-Tc superconductors is likely related with the proximity of certain Van Hove singularities to the Fermi level. While this mechanism remains to be fully understood, one may conclude that it is not related with the electron density of states but likely with some kind of resonances caused by a proximity of the Fermi surface to topological Lifshitz transition. One may also notice that the electronic correlations often shift the electronic bands to optimal for superconductivity positions.

A trapped field of 14.3 T in Y–Ba–Cu–O bulk superconductors fabricated by buffer-assisted seeded infiltration and growth

Abstract: The two-step top seeded infiltration and growth (TSIG) melt process has emerged as a successful and reliable technique for the fabrication of single grain (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-δ (where RE is a rare-earth element or yttrium) bulk high temperature superconductors with engineered microstructures that exhibit improved superconducting properties. In this study, the performance of these materials in large applied magnetic fields has been investigated by field cooling single grain samples in a magnetic field of 18 T. YBa2Cu3O7-δ samples processed without added Ag by the TSIG technique, in the two-sample stack configuration, trapped a magnetic field of 14.3 T at 28 K after field cooling from 100 K and subsequent removal of the applied field. This result is particularly significant in that, previously, only single grain (RE)Ba2Cu3O7-δ bulk superconductors containing Ag have been reported to be able to tolerate the large stresses on the samples inherent in the magnetisation process at large fields. The samples prepared in the present study were pre-stressed using a reinforcing stainless-steel ring, although, otherwise, they did not contain any additives, dopants or resin impregnation. The ability of samples processed by TSIG to withstand large tensile forces without Ag addition is attributed to the reduced incidence of intrinsic cracks/pores in the single grain microstructure.

Dynamic levitation performance of Gd-Ba-Cu-O and Y-Ba-Cu-O bulk superconductors under a varying external magnetic field

Abstract: © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd. We report that the dynamic levitation force of bulk high temperature superconductors (HTS) in motion attenuates when exposed to an inhomogeneous magnetic field. This phenomenon has significant potential implications for the long-term stability and running performance of HTS in maglev applications. In order to suppress the attenuation of the levitation force associated with fluctuations in magnetic field, we compare the dynamic levitation performance of single grain Y-Ba-Cu-O (YBCO) and Gd-Ba-Cu-O (GdBCO) bulk superconductors with relatively high critical current densities. A bespoke HTS maglev dynamic measurement system (SCML-03) incorporating a rotating circular permanent magnet guideway was employed to simulate the movement of HTS in a varying magnetic field at different frequencies (i.e. speed of rotation). The attenuation of the levitation force during dynamic operation, which is key parameter for effective maglev operation, has been evaluated experimentally. It is found that GdBCO bulk superconductors that exhibit superior levitation force properties are more able to resist the attenuation of levitation force compared with YBCO bulk materials under the same operating conditions. This investigation indicates clearly that GdBCO bulk superconductors can play an important role in suppressing attenuation of the levitation force, therefore improving the long-term levitation performance under dynamic operating conditions. This result is potentially significant in the design and application of HTS in maglev systems.

Density wave probes cuprate quantum phase transition

Abstract: In cuprates, the strong correlations in proximity to the antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state give rise to an array of unconventional phenomena beyond high temperature superconductivity. Developing a complete description of the ground state evolution is crucial to decoding the complex phase diagram. Here we use the structure of broken translational symmetry, namely $d$-form factor charge modulations in (Bi,Pb)$_2$(Sr,La)$_2$CuO$_{6+\delta}$, as a probe of the ground state reorganization that occurs at the transition from truncated Fermi arcs to a large Fermi surface. We use real space imaging of nanoscale electronic inhomogeneity as a tool to access a range of dopings within each sample, and we definitively validate the spectral gap $\Delta$ as a proxy for local hole doping. From the $\Delta$-dependence of the charge modulation wavevector, we discover a commensurate to incommensurate transition that is coincident with the Fermi surface transition from arcs to large hole pocket, demonstrating the qualitatively distinct nature of the electronic correlations governing the two sides of this quantum phase transition. Furthermore, the doping dependence of the incommensurate wavevector on the overdoped side is at odds with a simple Fermi surface driven instability.

Control of Epitaxial BaFe2As2 Atomic Configurations with Substrate Surface Terminations.

Abstract: Atomic layer controlled growth of epitaxial thin films of unconventional superconductors opens the opportunity to discover novel high temperature superconductors. For instance, the interfacial atomic configurations may play an important role in superconducting behavior of monolayer FeSe on SrTiO3 and other Fe-based superconducting thin films. Here, we demonstrate a selective control of the atomic configurations in Co-doped BaFe2As2 epitaxial thin films and its strong influence on superconducting transition temperatures by manipulating surface termination of (001) SrTiO3 substrates. In a combination of first-principles calculations and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging, we show that Co-doped BaFe2As2 on TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 is a tetragonal structure with an atomically sharp interface and with an initial Ba layer. In contrast, Co-doped BaFe2As2 on SrO-terminated SrTiO3 has a monoclinic distortion and a BaFeO3- x initial layer. Furthermore, the superconducting transition temperature of Co-doped BaFe2As2 ultrathin films on TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 is significantly higher than that on SrO-terminated SrTiO3, which we attribute to shaper interfaces with no lattice distortions. This study allows the design of the interfacial atomic configurations and the effects of the interface on superconductivity in Fe-based superconductors.

High-temperature superconductivity using a model of hydrogen bonds.

Abstract: Recently, there has been much interest in high-temperature superconductors and more recently in hydrogen-based superconductors. This work offers a simple model that explains the behavior of the superconducting gap based on naive BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer) theory and reproduces most effects seen in experiments, including the isotope effect and [Formula: see text] enhancement as a function of pressure. We show that this is due to a combination of the factors appearing in the gap equation: the matrix element between the proton states and the level splitting of the proton.

A possible family of Ni-based high temperature superconductors

Abstract: We suggest that a family of Ni-based compounds, which contain [Ni2M2O]2− (M = chalcogen) layers with an antiperovskite structure constructed by mixed-anion Ni complexes, NiM4O2, can be potential high temperature superconductors (high-Tc) upon doping or applying pressure. The layer structures have been formed in many other transitional metal compounds such as La2B2Se2O3 (B = Mn, Fe, Co). For the Ni-based compounds, we predict that the parental compounds host collinear antiferromagnetic states similar to those in iron-based high temperature superconductors. The electronic physics near Fermi energy is controlled by two e g d-orbitals with completely independent in-plane kinematics. We predict that the superconductivity in this family is characterized by strong competition between extended s-wave and d-wave pairing symmetries.

Direct connection between Mott insulators and d -wave high-temperature superconductors revealed by continuous evolution of self-energy poles

Abstract: The high-temperature superconductivity in copper oxides emerges when carriers are doped into the parent Mott insulator. This well-established fact has, however, eluded a microscopic explanation. Here we show that the missing link is the self-energy pole in the energy-momentum space. Its continuous evolution with doping directly connects the Mott insulator and high-temperature superconductivity. We show this by numerically studying the extremely small doping region close to the Mott insulating phase in a standard model for cuprates, the two-dimensional Hubbard model. We first identify two relevant self-energy structures in the Mott insulator: the pole generating the Mott gap and a relatively broad peak generating the so-called waterfall structure, which is another consequence of strong correlations present in the Mott insulator. We next reveal that either the Mott-gap pole or the waterfall structure (the feature at the energy closer to the Fermi level) directly transforms itself into another self-energy pole at the same energy and momentum when the system is doped with carriers. The anomalous self-energy yielding the superconductivity is simultaneously born exactly at this energy-momentum point. Thus created self-energy pole, interpreted as arising from a hidden fermionic excitation, continuously evolves upon further doping and considerably enhances the superconductivity. Above the critical temperature, the same self-energy pole generates a pseudogap in the normal state. We thus elucidate a unified Mott-physics mechanism, where the self-energy structure inherent to the Mott insulator directly gives birth to both the high critical superconducting temperature and pseudogap.

High-temperature superconductivity at the lanthanum cuprate/lanthanum–strontium nickelate interface

Abstract: The utilization of interface effects in epitaxial systems at the nanoscale has emerged as a very powerful approach for engineering functional properties of oxides. Here we present a novel structure fabricated by a state-of-the-art oxide molecular beam epitaxy method and consisting of lanthanum cuprate and strontium (Sr)-doped lanthanum nickelate, in which interfacial high-temperature superconductivity (Tc up to 40 K) occurs at the contact between the two phases. In such a system, we are able to tune the superconducting properties simply by changing the structural parameters. By employing electron spectroscopy and microscopy combined with dedicated conductivity measurements, we show that decoupling occurs between the electronic charge carrier and the cation (Sr) concentration profiles at the interface and that a hole accumulation layer forms, which dictates the resulting superconducting properties. Such effects are rationalized in the light of a generalized space-charge theory for oxide systems that takes account of both ionic and electronic redistribution effects.

Superconductivity in doped polyethylene at high pressure

Abstract: In this work we study the pressure-dependent phase diagram of polyethylene (H2C)x from 50 to 200 GPa. Low-symmetry, organic polymeric phases, that are dynamically stable and thermodynamically competitive with elemental decomposition, are reported. Electronic structure calculations reveal that the band gap of the lowest energy polymeric phase decreases from 5.5 to 4.5 eV in the 50–200 GPa range, but metalization occurs only for pressures well above 500 GPa. The possibility of metalization via doping was also investigated, observing that it can be achieved through boron substitution at carbon sites. We report a sizable electron-phonon coupling (λ ≃ 0.79) in this metallic phase, with an estimated superconducting transition temperature of about 35 K. However, a rather narrow domain of stability is found; most of the dopant elements render the polymeric phases unstable and induce amorphization. This suggests that doping under pressure, though presenting an alternative route to find high temperature superconductors, would be challenging to achieve experimentally.

Advantages of multi-seeded (RE)-Ba-Cu-O superconductors for magnetic levitation applications

Abstract: © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd. Large, single grain (RE)Ba2Cu3O7 (where RE is a rare-earth element or yttrium) high temperature superconductors are technologically important materials due to their ability to trap large magnetic fields and to provide stable magnetic levitation for a number of potential high field applications. The fabrication of samples in the large singe grain form is a challenge, however, due to the characteristic slow growth rate of these materials and the need to produce samples that are electrically well-connected in order to generate trapped magnetic fields that are significantly greater than those produced by conventional permanent magnets (PM). In this work, we investigate whether large, single grain samples are optimum for the generation of high levitation forces for engineering applications. Three large bar-shaped Y-Ba-Cu-O samples of dimensions 60 × 20 × 12 mm3 were prepared for this investigation, including one single-seeded, one multi-seeded and one consisting of three square samples packed together closely in an array. The processing of these samples is described and their trapped field and levitation performance at 77 K measured using different PM arrays. We find that the multi-seeded samples and those assembled from smaller, individual bulk superconductors are able to achieve a higher levitation force than an equivalent single seed sample arrangement, at least in some geometries. This result is significant in that it suggests clearly that it is not always necessary to fabricate bulk (RE)BCO superconductors in the form of very large single grains for levitation applications, although the specific configuration of the system does need to be considered on an application-by-application basis.

Electronic Properties and Fermi Surface for New Layered High-Temperature Superconductors CaAFe 4 As 4 (A = K, Rb, and Cs): FLAPW-GGA Calculations

Abstract: Recently, new FeAs-based high-temperature superconductors CaAFe4As4 (A = K, Rb, and Cs) with a layered tetragonal crystal structure were synthesized (T C ∼ 30 K). In this letter, we report for the first time the band structures, Fermi surface topology, total and partial densities of electronic states, and interatomic interactions for CaAFe4As4 as estimated by means of the first-principle FLAPW-GGA calculations. The obtained data for CaAFe4As4 phases are analyzed in comparison with each other and with other related FeAs systems. The interatomic bonding picture can be represented as a highly anisotropic mixture of metallic, covalent, and ionic contributions, which are realized inside Fe4As4-layered blocks and between these blocks and Ca, A atomic sheets. The Fermi surfaces of these systems have a multisheet character and are compiled of a large number of cylinders at the edges and in the central part of the Brillouin zone. It is established that the high-temperature superconductivity in CaAFe4As4 compounds as in other related systems correlates well with such structure parameters as bond angles and anion height.

Effect of the Temperature, External Magnetic Field, and Transport Current on Electrical Properties, Vortex Structure Evolution Processes, and Phase Transitions in Subsystems of Superconducting Grains and “Weak Links” of Granular Two-Level High-Temperature Superconductor YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7–δ

Abstract: The temperature dependences of the resistivity of granular high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7–δ ρ(T) are measured at various transverse external magnetic fields 0 ≤ Hext ≤ 100 Oe in the temperature range from the resistivity onset temperature Tρ = 0 to the superconducting transition critical temperature T c at the transport current density from 50 to 2000 mA/cm2. The effect of the external magnetic field and transport current density on the kinetics of phase transitions in both subsystems of granular two-level HTSC (T = Tc2J, Tc1g, T c ) is determined. The feasibility of the topological phase transition, i.e., the Berezinsky–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition, in the Josephson medium at Tc2J < TBKT < Tc1g “in transport current” is established, and its feasibility conditions are studied.

What can Andreev bound states tell us about superconductors

Abstract: Zero-energy Andreev bound states, which manifest themselves in the tunnelling spectra as zero-bias conductance peaks (ZBCPs), are abundant at interfaces between superconductors and other materials ...

Ultrasonic and elastic properties of Tl- and Hg-Based cuprate superconductors: a review

Abstract: This review is regarding the ultrasonic and elastic properties of Tl- and Hg-based cuprate superconductors. The objectives of this paper were to review the ultrasonic attenuation above the transition temperature Tc, and sound velocity and elastic anomalies at Tc in the Tl- and Hg-based cuprate superconductors. A discontinuity in the sound velocity and elastic moduli is observed near Tc for the Hg-based and other cuprate high temperature superconductor but not the Tl-based superconductor. Ultrasonic attenuation peaks are observed between 200 and 250 K in almost all Tl- and Hg-based cuprate superconductors reported. These peaks were attributed to lattice stepping and oxygen ordering in the Tl-O and Hg-O layers. Some Tl- and Hg-based superconductors show attenuation peak near Tc. However, this is not a common feature for the cuprate superconductors. The ultrasonic attenuation decrease rate below Tc is slower than that expected from a Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) and pseudo-gapped superconductor.

Anti-PbO-type CoSe film: a possible analog to FeSe superconductors

Abstract: Quasi-two-dimensionality is well known as a key electronic and structural element of high temperature superconductivity Here we prepared ultrathin films of anti-PbO-type CoSe down to the monolayer on a SrTiO3(001) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy, and investigated their electronic structures by scanning tunneling microscopy, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, and transport measurements in combination with first-principles calculations We found that the monolayer CoSe had similar band structure and non-ferromagnetism nature with monolayer FeSe on SrTiO3, except for the Fermi level upshift by ~025 eV and weaker electronic correlation with a renormalization factor of 17, due to extra electron filling from Co 3d7 compared with Fe 3d6 The results hint that superconductivity might emerge in hole-doped tetragonal CoSe films

Theory of Fermi Liquid with Flat Bands

Abstract: A self-consistent theory of Fermi systems hosting flat bands is developed. Compared with an original model of fermion condensation, its key point consists in proper accounting for mixing between condensate and non-condensate degrees of freedom that leads to formation of a non-BCS gap $$\Upsilon (\mathbf{p})$$ in the single-particle spectrum. The results obtained explain: (1) the two-gap structure of spectra of single-particle excitations of electron systems of copper oxides, revealed in ARPES studies, (2) the role of violation of the topological stability of the Landau state in the arrangement of the $$T-x$$ phase diagram of this family of high- $$T_\mathrm{c}$$ superconductors, (3) the topological nature of a metal–insulator transition, discovered in homogeneous two-dimensional low-density electron liquid of MOSFETs more than 20 years ago.

High-energy spin fluctuation in low- T c iron-based superconductor LaFePO 0.9

Abstract: Spin fluctuations are widely believed to play an important role in the superconducting mechanisms of unconventional high temperature superconductors. Spin fluctuations have been observed in iron-based superconductors as well. However, in some iron-based superconductors such as LaFePO0.9, they have not been observed by inelastic neutron scattering (INS). LaFePO0.9 is an iron-based superconductor with a low superconducting transition temperature (Tc = 5 K), where line nodes are observed in the superconducting gap function. The line-node symmetry typically originates from sign reversal of the order parameter in spin-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity. This contradiction has been a long-standing mystery of this superconductor. Herein, spin fluctuations were found at high energies such as 30–50 meV with comparable intensities to an optimally doped LaFeAs(O, F). Based on this finding, the line-node symmetry can be explained naturally as spin-fluctuation-mediated superconductivity.

The investigation of the lattice strains and crystallite sizes of Y358 and Y123 high-temperature superconductors

Abstract: In this study, the Y358 phase, the newest high-temperature superconductor member of the yttrium barium copper oxide family, was produced using the solid-state reaction technique. The Y358 superconductor exhibited the Meissner effect at low temperature (77 K). The X-ray diffraction spectra indicated that the crystal structure was almost identical to that of Y123, but with some impurity peaks. An X-ray peak broadening analysis was applied to determine the lattice strain, and the medial crystallite size was calculated perpendicular to the surface of the superconductor specimens. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that the crystallite size of the Y358 superconductor was about 1.125 times larger than that of the Y123 superconductor.

Electronic Specific Heat of Iron Pnictides Based on Electron-Cooper Pair Interaction

Abstract: The discovery of iron pnictides in 2006 added on the number of materials that have the potential to transmit electricity with close zero d.c resistance. High-temperature iron-based superconductors have been obtained through modification, mostly by doping, of the initially low-temperature iron-based superconductors. Unlike in LTSC, the energy gap in HTSC requires a theory, beyond spin fluctuations, to explain its anisotropy. This study seeks to establish a common ground between iron pnictides and cuprates towards explaining high temperature superconductivity. There is a general consensus on the existence of Cooper pairs in these systems. In addition to this, experimental results have revealed the existence of electron-boson coupling in iron pnictides. These results make it viable to study the interaction between an electron and a Cooper pair in iron based superconductors (IBSC). In this study, Bogoliubov-Valatini transformation has been used in determining the electronic specific heat based on the interaction between an electron and a Cooper pair in high-temperature IBSC, namely, Ca0.33Na0.6Fe2As2 and SmFeAsO0.8F0.2. We record the theoretical electronic specific heat of CeFeAsO0.84F0.16 and SmFeAsO0.8F0.2 as 164.3 mJ mol-1 K-2 and 101.6 mJ mol-1 K-2 respectively.