Bi-2212 Single Crystals Research Articles

Reprint of ``Characteristics of impurity-induced pseudogap"

We have performed STM/STS measurements on a single crystal of Bi2.1Sr1.9Ca (Cu1–xCox) 2O8+δ (Co-Bi2212), to reveal impurity effects on the pseudogap in cuprate high-Tc superconductors. We report a drastic change in the temperature dependence of a pseudogap and in the density of states (DOS) modulation with a 4a period, in a certain doping range. In the Co 4% substituted samples, the pseudogap gradually closed like a gap of a BCS superconductor for slightly overdoped and overdoped regime, while their low temperature values were enhanced due to impurity. In addition, a disappearance of a 4a periodic modulation and a development of new modulation were observed in the DOS spatial distribution. These results indicate an intimate relation between the DOS modulation and the pseudogap, and qualitative difference in the impurity enhanced pseudogap and conventional one.

Surface structure of in situ cleaved single crystal Bi2Se3 measured by low energy ion scattering

Bismuth selenide is a two-dimensional topological insulator material composed of stacked quintuple layers (QL). The layers are held together by a weak van der Waals force that enables surface preparation by cleaving. Low energy ion scattering experiments show that Bi2Se3 cleaved under ultrahigh vacuum has a Se-terminated structure that is consistent with cleaving between QLs. Comparison of experimental data to molecular dynamics simulations confirms the Se-termination and provides an estimate of the surface relaxation.

Thin film like terahertz bolometric detector on Bi2212 single crystal

In this study, we developed a microbolometer chip fabricated from high temperature superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) single crystals for the terahertz (THz) detection. For the manufacturing of the microbolometer chips, Bi2212 single crystals were transferred on substrate in the thin film like form and electron beam lithography, ion beam etching techniques were used. Resistance versus temperature behavior of the bolometer chips were performed by four probe technique in liquid nitrogen cryostat. Bi2212 microchips were integrated and characterized using in our custom-designed cryogenic bolometer system instead of expensive and massive cooling systems. The fabricated microchips significantly detected signals from the Stefan-Boltzmann lamp which includes a portion of THz radiation. The detected power and response time were studied for Bi2212 thin film like microbolometer chips. Our results demonstrated the feasibility of improved Bi2212 microchips could be used for bolometric detection for THz applications.

A Reproducible Approach of Preparing High-Quality Overdoped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ Single Crystals by Oxygen Annealing and Quenching Method**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11190022, 11334010 and 11534007, the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2015CB921000, and the Strategic Priority Research Program (B) of Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDB07020300.

We report a reproducible approach in preparing high-quality overdoped Bi2Sr2 CaCu2 O8+δ (Bi2212) single crystals by annealing Bi2212 crystals in high oxygen pressure followed by a fast quenching. In this way, high-quality overdoped and heavily overdoped Bi2212 single crystals are obtained by controlling the annealing oxygen pressure. We find that, beyond a limit of oxygen pressure that can achieve most heavily overdoped Bi2212 with a Tc ∼63 K, the annealed Bi2212 begins to decompose. This accounts for the existence of the hole-doping limit and thus the Tc limit in the heavily overdoped region of Bi2212 by the oxygen annealing process. These results provide a reliable way in preparing high-quality overdoped and heavily overdoped Bi2212 crystals that are important for studies of the physical properties, electronic structure and superconductivity mechanism of the cuprate superconductors.

Characteristics of impurity-induced pseudogap

We have performed STM/STS measurements on a single crystal of Bi2.1Sr1.9Ca (Cu1−xCox) 2O8+δ (Co-Bi2212), to reveal impurity effects on the pseudogap in cuprate high-Tc superconductors. We report a drastic change in the temperature dependence of a pseudogap and in the density of states (DOS) modulation with a 4a period, in a certain doping range. In the Co 4% substituted samples, the pseudogap gradually closed like a gap of a BCS superconductor for slightly overdoped and overdoped regime, while their low temperature values were enhanced due to impurity. In addition, a disappearance of a 4a periodic modulation and a development of new modulation were observed in the DOS spatial distribution. These results indicate an intimate relation between the DOS modulation and the pseudogap, and qualitative difference in the impurity enhanced pseudogap and conventional one.

Heating Effect of Mesa-type Intrinsic Josephson Junction Stacks Using Pulse Current Measurement

We experimentally investigated the self-heating effect of large-scale mesa-type intrinsic Josephson junction stacks in the single-crystal Bi-2212 using pulse current measurement techniques. In addition, the effects of contact resistance between the electrodes and top of the mesa were studied. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics obtained by using the pulse measurement technique showed significantly improved voltage suppression compared to the dc measurement. Furthermore, we proposed a new pulse waveform. Using the proposed waveform, I-V characteristics could be obtained with heat generation at the contact resistance only. It is revealed that the heating at the contact resistance had a significant effect on the I-V characteristics.

A T-type method for characterization of the thermoelectric performance of an individual free-standing single crystal Bi2S3 nanowire.

A comprehensive method to evaluate the thermoelectric performance of one-dimensional nanostructures, called the T-type method, has been first developed. The thermoelectric properties, including the Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity, of an individual free-standing single crystal Bi2S3 nanowire have been first characterized by applying the T-type method. The determined figure of merit is far less than the reported values of nanostructured bulk Bi2S3 samples, and the mechanism is that the Seebeck coefficient is nearly zero in the temperature range of 300-420 K and changes its sign at 320 K.

Shape-controlled synthesis and facet-dependent performance of single-crystal Bi25GaO39photocatalysts

Single-crystal Bi25GaO39 cubes with exposed {100} facets and Bi25GaO39 tetrahedra with exposed {111} and {112} facets were successfully synthesized through a facile hydrothermal route without using any template or organic surfactant for the first time. The formation process studies indicate that the amounts of NaOH and NaGaO2 play an important role in the nucleation and growth rate of Bi25GaO39 crystals. PL spectra and photoelectrochemical measurements indicate that the separation efficiency of photogenerated electron–hole pairs in Bi25GaO39 tetrahedra is higher than that in Bi25GaO39 cubes. Moreover, Bi25GaO39 tetrahedra exhibited superior photocatalytic activity in comparison with Bi25GaO39 cubes for the degradation of AR1 and 4-NP pollutants, which may be primarily ascribed to the differences in exposed facets.

Three energy scales in the superconducting state of hole-doped cuprates detected by electronic Raman scattering

We explored by electronic Raman scattering the superconducting state of Bi-2212 single crystal by performing a fine tuned doping study. We found three distinct energy scales in A1g, B1g and B2g symmetries which show three distinct doping dependencies. Above p=0.22 the three energies merge, below p=0.12, the A1g scale is no more detectable while the B1g and B2g scales become constant in energy. In between, the A1g and B1g scales increase monotonically with under-doping while the B2g one exhibits a maximum at p=0.16. The three superconducting energy scales appear to be an universal feature of hole-doped cuprates. We propose that the non trivial doping dependence of the three scales originates from Fermi surface topology changes and reveals competing orders inside the superconducting dome.

The influence of critical current density of Bi-2212 superconductors by defects after Yb-doping

Bi2Sr2Ca1−xYbxCu2O8+δ (Bi-2212) single crystals with x = 0.000, 0.005, 0.010 and 0.020 have been prepared by self-flux method. The influences of Yb doping on the formation of the dislocations in the lattice structures, as well as the related current carrying capability are investigated. Due to the SQUID measurement and the Bean model calculation, the maximum critical current density (Jc) is obtained when the Yb doping content is x = 0.010, though the Tc and the carrier concentration are not in the optimal region. Based on the HRTEM analyses of the Ca–O and Cu–O2 layers, the optimal dislocation density in the Cu–O2 layers is deduced according to the number of the dislocations per unit area. Besides, the sizes of the dislocations also prove the effectiveness of Yb substitution on the enhancement of the current carrying capability in Bi-2212 single crystals.

Influences of Yb Doping on the Structure and Superconducting Properties of Bi-2212 Single Crystals

Bi <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> Sr <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2-x</sub> Yb <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">x</sub> CaCu <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">8</sub> +O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">8+δ</sub> (x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20) single crystals with Yb substitution at the Sr sites are successfully obtained by the self-flux method. The single crystal with doping content x = 0.01 exhibits the highest critical temperature (T <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> ) and critical current density (J <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> ) values. The influences of Yb doping on the type, size, and density of the introduced defects have been investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It displays that Yb doping can make the Bi-2212 crystal shrink. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is used to investigate the influence of doping content on the binding energies of certain elements, including O, Sr, and Cu, corresponding to the change of T <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> . Significant improvement of 25% in the critical current density (J <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c</sub> ) has been achieved with an Yb doping content of 0.01.

Superconductivity versus structural phase transition in the closely relatedBi2Rh3.5S2andBi2Rh3S2

Single crystals of Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3}$S$ _{2}$ and Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3.5}$S$ _{2}$ were synthesized by solution growth and the crystal structures, thermodynamic and transport properties of both compounds were studied. In the case of Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3}$S$ _{2}$, a structural first-order transition at around 165 K is identified by single crystal diffraction experiments, with clear signatures visible in resistivity, magnetization and specific heat data. No superconducting transition for Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3}$S$ _{2}$ was observed down to 0.5 K. In contrast, no structural phase transition at high temperature was observed for Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3.5}$S$ _{2}$, however bulk superconductivity with a critical temperature, $T_{c}\approx$ 1.7 K was observed. The Sommerfeld coefficient $\gamma$\ and the Debye temperature($\varTheta_{\textrm{D}}$) were found to be 9.4 mJ mol$^{-1}$ K$^{-2}$ and 209 K respectively for Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3}$S$ _{2}$, and 22 mJ mol$^{-1}$ K$^{-2}$ and 196 K respectively for Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3.5}$S$ _{2}$. Study of the specific heat in the superconducting state of Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3.5}$S$ _{2}$ suggests that Bi$_{2} $Rh$ _{3.5}$S$ _{2}$ is a weakly coupled, BCS superconductor.

Area dependence and influence of crystal inhomogeneity on superconducting properties of Bi2212 mesa structures

The rapid increase in applications of terahertz waves requires new techniques to obtain continuous wave terahertz sources. Mesa structures fabricated from high-Tc superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi2212) single crystal have been observed as an intense, coherent, continuous electromagnetic wave source in the terahertz (THz) frequency region. However, in order to produce coherent radiation with high applicable power, we need large mesa structures that enter a collective electromagnetic state in which their oscillations are largely synchronized in phase. On the other hand, large mesa structures cause a heating problem. In this study, we report on the critical current density dependence of mesa area and the crystal inhomogeneity to understand heating problems in large area mesas for terahertz radiation. Since the doping dependence of Bi2212 is an important parameter, the as-grown Bi2212 crystals were heat-treated at various temperatures under vacuum conditions. We have fabricated triple mesa structures from Bi2212 single crystal using e-beam lithography and argon ion beam etching techniques with same area and with different area on the same chip. We investigated and compared characteristics of triple mesas which are on the same chip and next to each other. In this way, we searched the crystal inhomogeneity in triple mesa structures and studied the critical current density dependence of mesa area to obtain high emission power for the THz radiation. Our experimental results clearly show that the Josephson critical current density is decreasing when the area of mesa is increasing.

Infrared surface polaritons on bismuth

Optical constants for evaporated bismuth (Bi) films were measured by ellipsometry and compared with those published for single crystal and melt-cast polycrystalline Bi in the wavelength range of 1 to 40 μm. The bulk plasma frequency ωp and high-frequency limit to the permittivity ε∞ were determined from the long-wave portion of the permittivity spectrum, taking previously published values for the relaxation time τ and effective mass m . This part of the complex permittivity spectrum was confirmed by comparing calculated and measured reflectivity spectra in the far-infrared. Properties of surface polaritons (SPs) in the long-wave infrared were calculated to evaluate the potential of Bi for applications in infrared plasmonics. Measured excitation resonances for SPs on Bi lamellar gratings agree well with calculated resonance spectra based on grating geometry and complex permittivity.

Surface superconductivity in thin cylindrical Bi nanowire.

The physical origin and the nature of superconductivity in nanostructured Bi remains puzzling. Here, we report transport measurements of individual cylindrical single-crystal Bi nanowires, 20 and 32 nm in diameter. In contrast to nonsuperconducting Bi nanoribbons with two flat surfaces, cylindrical Bi nanowires show superconductivity below 1.3 K. However, their superconducting critical magnetic fields decrease with their diameter, which is the opposite of the expected behavior for thin superconducting wires. Quasiperiodic oscillations of magnetoresistance were observed in perpendicular fields but were not seen in the parallel orientation. These results can be understood by a model of surface superconductivity with an enhanced surface-to-bulk volume in small diameter wires, where the superconductivity originates from the strained surface states of the nanowires due to the surface curvature-induced stress.

Recent experimental progress in low-dimensional superconductors

Superconductivity is one of the most important research fields in condensed matter physics. The rapid development of material preparation technology in last few years has made the experimental study of low-dimensional physical superconducting properties feasible. This article gives a brief introduction on superconductivity and technology of low-dimensional material fabrication, and mainly focuses on the experimental progress in electrical transport studies on one-and two-dimensional superconductors, especially the results from our group. As for one-dimensional superconductivity, we review the superconductivities in single crystal Bi nanowires, crystalline Pb nano-belts, and amorphous W nanobelts, and the proximity effects in superconducting nanowires, metallic nanowires, and ferromagnetic nanowires. Surface superconductivity is revealed for crystalline Bi nanowire. The step-like voltage platforms in V-I curves are observed in Pb nano-belts and may be attributed to phase slip centers. Besides, vortex glass (VG) phase transition is discovered in amorphous W nano-belts. Inverse proximity effect is detected in crystalline Pb nanowires with normal electrodes, and proximity induced mini-gap is found in crystalline Au nanowire with superconducting electrodes. Furthermore, in crystalline ferromagnetic Co nanowire contacted by superconducting electrodes, unconventional long range proximity effect is observed. As for two-dimensional superconductivity, we review the superconductivities in Pb thin films on Si substrates, 2 atomic layer Ga films on GaN substrates, and one-unit-cell thick FeSe film on STO substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method. By both in situ scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy and ex situ transport and magnetization measurements, the two-atomic-layer Ga film with graphene-like structure on wide band-gap semiconductor GaN is found to be superconducting with Tc up to 5.4 K. By direct transport and magnetic measurements, the strong evidences for high temperature superconductivities in the 1-UC FeSe films on insulating STO substrates with the onset Tc and critical current density much higher than those for bulk FeSe are revealed. Finally, we give a summary and present a perspective on the future of low dimensional superconductors.

Robust surface state transport in thin bismuth nanoribbons.

While a two-dimensional (2D) metallic surface state in bismuth has been proposed, experimental 2D evidence of quantum transport, e.g., angular dependent Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillations is still lacking. Here, we report the angular-dependent magnetoresistance measurements in single-crystal Bi nanoribbons, and found that both the low-field weak antilocalization behavior and the high-field angle-dependent SdH oscillations follow exactly the 2D character, indicative of the 2D metallic surface states which dominate the transport properties of thin Bi nanoribbons. Moreover, by controllable exposing the ribbons to ambient environment (1 atm and room temperature), the metallic surface states were found to be robust to the oxidation although the carrier density in the surface states are modified after the exposures. These results suggest that the metallic surface states in Bi nanoribbons should be topologically protected which can provide key information in understanding the surface properties of Bi in nanometer scale.

Kinetic Energy Density Induced by High Magnetic Fields in a Bi-2212 Single Crystal

We have measured isofield curves for the kinetic energy density (E k) in the superconducting state of a Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi-2212) single crystal. These curves were determined from magnetization versus temperature experiments that were analyzed according to the prescription of the virial theorem of superconductivity. The magnetization measurements were carried out using the zero field cooling (ZFC) and field cooled cooling (FCC) protocols. This procedure allows the determination of the temperature interval where the magnetization behaves reversibly. This study is limited to the temperature region where the pinning effects are negligible. The field-induced kinetic energy is associated with the currents circulating around the vortices. The obtained results allow the estimation of the upper critical field and are in accordance to the expectations of the Abrikosov theory for type-II superconductors.

Anomalous nuclear magnetic resonance spectra inBi2Se3nanowires

We report $^{209}$Bi nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of in nanowires and single crystals of Bi$_2$Se$_3$. Crystals were powdered to simulate the random orientation of the nanowires, and the spectra are compared with theoretical expectations derived via an orientational study of a single crystal. The nanowire spectra are consistent with the randomly oriented powders, however we find an unusual suppression of signal intensity as a function of field orientation that may be associated with screening by surface currents.

Effect of weak and high magnetic fields in longitudinal and transverse configurations on magneto-thermoelectric properties of quantum Bi wires

We report on the magneto-thermopower of single-crystal Bi nanowires with diameters 75 and 250 nm in a longitudinal and transverse magnetic fields of 0–14 T. The temperature range is 1.5–300 K. Bi nanowires in a glass capillary have been prepared by the high frequency liquid phase casting. The temperature dependence R(T) shows the transition from metallic to semiconducting behavior due to quantum size effect, where the Bi-wire diameter is reduced to less than 80 nm. It is for the first time that the effect of the negative magneto-resistance in a transverse magnetic field, due to the quantum size effect on 75 nm Bi wires, has been observed. The thermopower is very sensitive to the wire diameter, up to a change in the sign from negative to positive at low temperatures, and to a significant extent in a weak longitudinal magnetic field. The field dependences of longitudinal and transverse magneto-resistance have features characteristic of the occurrence of the quantum size effect and galvanomagnetic size effect, and provide information on the parameters of the energy spectrum and charge carrier mobility. The enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit for Bi nanowires is discussed. We also discuss the power factor α2σ and its dependence on the diameter, magnetic field and temperature.