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Electronic properties of high-temperature superconductors

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:5962972

The author has developed a semiempirical tight-binding model for the electronic energy bands, the local and total densities of states, and the atomic valences in the high-temperature superconductors La{sub 1.85}Sr{sub 0.15} CuO{sub 4}, YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, Br{sub 2}Sr{sub 2}CuO{sub 6}, Bi{sub 2}CaSr{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, Tl{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}CuO{sub 6}, Tl{sub 2}CaBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, Tl{sub 2}Ca{sub 2}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 10}, TlCa{sub 3}Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 4}O{sub 1}, BaPb{sub 0.75} Bi{sub 0.25}O{sub 8}, and Ba{sub 0.6}K{sub 0.4}BiO{sub 3}. A single tight-binding model, with fully transferable parameters, provides a good description of the electronic structures of all these materials. Calculations of the changes in electronic properties associated with atomic substitutions in YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, Bi{sub 2}CaSr{sub 2}Cu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, Tl{sub 2}CaBa{sub 2} Cu{sub 2}O{sub 8}, give results in agreement with expected chemical trends and consistent with observed changes in the superconducting properties. Oxygen vacancies in both La{sub 1.85}Sr{sub 0.15}CuO{sub 4-y} and YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-y} act as electron donors. This is consistent with the observations that oxygen vacancies degrade the superconductivity and metallic conductivity in these materials. Lanthanum vacancies in La{sub 2-x}CuO{sub 4} donate holes, giving the same electronic effect as doping with divalent metal atoms or excess oxygen in initially stoichiometric La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4}. The author proposes a specific excitonic mechanism for high-temperature superconductivity, which requires insulating metal-oxide layers adjacent to the superconducting planes.

Research Organization:
Texas A and M Univ., College Station, TX (USA)
OSTI ID:
5962972
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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