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Effects of oxygen on the magnetic order of the rare earth ions in RBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6+x] (R = Dy, Er, and Nd)

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:7114752

Neutron scattering techniques have been used to study the effects of oxygen on the magnetic order of the rare earth ions in RBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6+x] (R = Dy, Er, Nd). For fully oxygenated superconducting (T[sub c] = 92 K) ErBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7] two-dimensional (2D) short range magnetic correlations grow as the ordering temperature T[sub N] = 0.62 K is approached from above, while at T[sub N] long range correlations develop in the a-b plane, which induce 3D long range order. Below T[sub N] the thermodynamic order parameter obeys Onsager's exact solution of the 2D S = 1/2 Ising model. For oxygen-reduced superconducting ErBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6.6] the 3D ordering temperature is lowered to T[sub N] [approx equal] 0.48 K. For fully de-oxygenated insulating ErBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6] down to the lowest temperature achieved (T = 60 mK) neither 2D or 3D long range order ever develop. For fully oxygenated superconducting DyBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 7] (T[sub c] [approx equal] 92 K) 3D long range order occurs at T[sub N] [approx equal] 0.93 K. As the authors decrease the oxygen concentration in this material they see a concomitant decrease in the 3D magnetic ordering temperature. For their highest oxygenated superconducting NdBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub 6.94] (T[sub c] [approx equal] 92 K), 3D long range order develops below T[sub N] [approx equal] 0.53 K. For a small reduction of oxygen to x = 0.78, the authors observe drastic effects on the Nd order; 3D order is inhibited and only short range 2D correlations are found at low temperature. At (non-superconducting) x = 0.45, the 3D correlations are better developed at low temperature, yet long range order still does not occur. For x = 0.3, 3D long range order of the Nd ions is reestablished, developing below T[sub N] [approx equal] 1.5 K, three times that of the fully oxygenated material. The results demonstrate that the chain layer oxygen has a considerable influence on the rare earth magnetic order.

Research Organization:
Maryland Univ., College Park, MD (United States)
OSTI ID:
7114752
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English