Out-of-plane and in-plane conduction in insulating and strongly underdoped cuprates

Conference · Sat Dec 19 23:00:00 EST 1998 · International Journal of Modern Physics B

OSTI ID:6385121

Almasan, C C; Levin, G A; Cimpoiasu, E; Stein, T ^[1]; Gajewski, D A; Maple, M B ^[2]; Zheng, H; Paulikas, A P; Veal, B W ^[3]

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1. Kent State Univ., OH (United States). Dept. of Physics
2. Univ. of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)
3. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Materials Science Div.

The authors report measurements of out-of-phase ([rho][sub c]) and in-plane ([rho][sub ab]) normal-state resistivities of single crystals of insulating PrBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]] and strongly underdoped oxygen deficient YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6.41] using a flux transformer method. In the superconducting specimens, the onset of superconductivity was suppressed by a magnetic field of 9 T. They have found that the anisotropy [rho][sub c]/[rho][sub ab] of these samples increases monotonically at low temperatures with no signs of saturation. The temperature dependence of [rho][sub c]/[rho][sub ab] for YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6.41] is well described by [rho][sub c]/[rho][sub ab] = a + bT[sup [minus]2/3], but over a smaller temperature range than for insulating PrBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7[minus][delta]]. Both the absence of saturation of [rho][sub c]/[rho][sub ab] and its T[sup [minus]2/3] dependence indicate two-dimensional conduction. This means that the average in-plane hopping distance of the localized charge carriers increases with decreasing T according to Mott's [bar R] [approximately] T[sup [minus]1/3] law, while the elementary step in the c-direction remains T independent, equal to the spacing between the bilayers.

• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-86ER45230; W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6385121
• Report Number(s): CONF-980291--
• Journal Information: International Journal of Modern Physics B, Journal Name: International Journal of Modern Physics B Vol. 12:29-31; ISSN IJPBEV; ISSN 0217-9792
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANISOTROPY
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
BARIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGE CARRIERS
COPPER COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PRASEODYMIUM COMPOUNDS
PRASEODYMIUM OXIDES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM OXIDES