Anomalous disappearance of high-Tc superconductivity at high hole concentration in metallic La2-xSrxCuO4.

Abstract

Samples of ${\mathrm{La}}_{2\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{x}\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{O}}_{4\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ have previously shown a maximum concentration of $p=0.15$ holes per [Cu${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$] unit, because increasing $xg0.15$ normally induces compensating oxygen vacancies. Annealing samples in 100 bars of oxygen pressure fills the oxygen vacancies and greatly increases the range of accessible hole concentrations, up to $p=0.40$ (or effectively ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{+2.40}$). We find that ${T}_{c}$ is constant at \ensuremath{\simeq}36 K from $p=0.15 \mathrm{to} 0.24$, where it begins to decrease. Beyond $p\ensuremath{\simeq}0.32$, superconductivity disappears, even though the samples are more conducting.