Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies of cuprate superconductors

Abstract

This dissertation is comprised of three different angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies on cuprate superconductors. The first study compares the band structure from two different single layer cuprates Tl2Ba2CuO6+δ (Tl2201) Tc,max ~95 K and (Bi1.35Pb0.85)(Sr1.47La0.38)CuO6+δ (Bi2201) Tc,max 35 K. The aim of the study was to provide some insight into the reasons why single layer cuprate's maximum transition temperatures are so different. The study found two major di erences in the band structure. First, the Fermi surface segments close to ( π,0) are more parallel in Tl2201 than in Bi2201. Second, the shadow band usually related to crystal structure is only present in Bi2201, but absent in higher Tc Tl2201. The second study looks at the different ways of doping Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) in-situ by only changing the post bake-out vacuum conditions and temperature. The aim of the study is to systematically look into the generally overlooked experimental conditions that change the doping of a cleaved sample in ultra high vacuum (UHV) experiments. The study found two major experimental facts. First, in inadequate UHV conditions the carrier concentration of Bi2212 increases with time, due to the absorption of oxygen from CO2/CO molecules, prime contaminants present in UHV systems. Second, in a very clean UHV system at elevated temperatures (above about 200 K), the carrier concentration decreases due to the loss of oxygen atoms from the Bi-O layer. The final study probed the particle-hole symmetry of the pseudogap phase in high temperature superconducting cuprates by looking at the thermally excited bands above the Fermi level. The data showed a particle-hole symmetric pseudogap which symmetrically closes away from the nested FS before the node. The data is consistent with a charge density wave (CDW) origin of the pseudogap, similar to STM checkerboard patterns in the pseudogap state.