Thermal-difference reflectance spectroscopy of the high-temperature cuprate superconductors

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1996 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.53.6734· OSTI ID:282067

Holcomb, M J; Perry, C L ^[1]; Collman, J P ^[2]; Little, W A ^[3]

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1. Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)
2. Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)
3. Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

The temperature-dependent thermal-difference reflectance (TDR) spectra of thin-film samples of Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}, (BiPb){sub 2}Sr{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}, Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CaCu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} have been measured for photon energies between 0.3 and 4.5 eV at temperatures above and below each material{close_quote}s superconducting critical temperature. The amplitude of the characteristic optical structure near the screened plasma frequency of each sample in the normal-state TDR spectrum varies approximately linearly with temperature, {ital T}, indicating that the temperature-dependent optical scattering rate in these materials scales with temperature as {ital T}{sup 2}. From the TDR spectra collected above and below the critical temperature of each sample, the superconducting to normal-state reflectance ratio, {ital R}{sub {ital S}}/{ital R}{sub {ital N}}, has been obtained. In all of these spectra, there are significant deviations from unity in {ital R}{sub {ital S}}/{ital R}{sub {ital N}} at photon energies on the order of 2.0 eV. This optical structure cannot be accounted for using the conventional Mattis-Bardeen description of the optical properties of a superconductor or its strong-coupling extension where electron-pairing interactions are limited to energies less than 0.1 eV. However, both the temperature and energy dependence of the structure in the {ital R}{sub {ital S}}/{ital R}{sub {ital N}} spectra may be adequately described within Eliashberg theory with an electron-boson coupling function which consists of both a low-energy component ({lt}0.1 eV) and a high-energy component located between 1.6 and 2.1 eV. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• DOE Contract Number: FG03-86ER45245
• OSTI ID: 282067
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 53, Issue 10; Other Information: PBD: Mar 1996
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
BARIUM OXIDES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
BISMUTH OXIDES
CALCIUM OXIDES
CUPRATES
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
LEAD OXIDES
THALLIUM OXIDES
YTTRIUM OXIDES
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
BOSON-FERMION SYMMETRY
CHARGE EXCHANGE
D STATES
ELECTRON-PHONON COUPLING
GORKOV-ELIASHBERG THEORY
LAYERS
PAIRING INTERACTIONS
SPECTRAL REFLECTANCE
SPECTROSCOPY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE