High energy secondary peak structure in tunneling spectra (hump) as possible magnetic pseudogap

Abstract

It is demonstrated that tunneling spectra in various high T c cuprates display generic features. The principal conductance peaks in superconductor-insulator-normal metal (SIN) junctions indicate the superconducting gap in the density of states (DOS). Higher energy features include a dip and hump structure with a strength that is asymmetric in bias voltage. The dip and hump features follow the doping trends of the superconducting gap, Δ, with a rough scaling as ∼2Δ and ∼3Δ respectively. Tunneling spectra in underdoped Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ display a more pronounced hump feature suggestive of a second gap in the DOS. It is observed that the hump feature in the tunneling density of states is consistent with other experimental observations of the so-called high energy pseudogap which may have magnetic origins.