Interlayer coupling effect in high-Tc superconductors probed by YBa2Cu3O7-x/PrBa2Cu3O7-x superlattices.

Abstract

The effect of coupling between layers of the high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ superconductors was studied by varying both the ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ and ${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ layer thicknesses in ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$/${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ superlattices. Superconductivity was found even when the ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ layers had nominal thicknesses as small as 12 \AA{} (one unit-cell thickness) but coupling between unit-cell layers is needed to achieve a ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ of 90 K. The decrease of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ in isolated ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$ layers with increasing sheet resistance is on the same scale of about \ensuremath{\Elzxh}/${\mathit{e}}^{2}$ as observed for ordinary superconductors.