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Superconducting energy gap and a normal-state excitation in Ba sub 0. 6 K sub 0. 4 BiO sub 3

Journal Article · · Physical Review (Section) B: Condensed Matter; (USA)
; ;  [1]; ; ; ;  [2];  [3];  [4]
  1. IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (US)
  2. Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439
  3. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089
  4. University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106

We report the first measurement of the energy gap of the high-temperature bismuth oxide superconductor Ba{sub 0.6}K{sub 0.4}BiO{sub 3} ({ital T}{sub {ital c}}{approx equal}30 K). With temperature- and magnetic-field-dependent infrared reflectivity measurements, we obtain a reduced energy gap of 2{Delta}/{ital kT}{sub {ital c}}{approx equal}3.5{plus minus}0.5, consistent with a BCS-type mechanism with moderate or weak coupling. In the normal state a broad peak in the infrared conductivity is observed near 5000 cm{sup {minus}1}. This unusual infrared behavior is common to both the BaPb{sub 1{minus}{ital x}}Bi{sub {ital x}}O{sub 3} and the Ba{sub 1{minus}{ital x}}K{sub {ital x}}BiO{sub 3} systems and may provide a fundamental clue to the mechanism of superconductivity in the cubic bismuth oxides.

DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
5486017
Journal Information:
Physical Review (Section) B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review (Section) B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 40:10; ISSN PRBMD; ISSN 0163-1829
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English