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Electronic Inhomogeneity and Breakdown of the Universal Thermal Conductivity in Cuprate Superconductors

X. F. Sun·S. Ono·Yasushi Abe·Seiki Komiya·Kouji Segawa·Yoichi Ando
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Abstract

We report systematic, high-precision measurements of the low-T (down to 70 mK) thermal conductivity κof YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{y}, La_{2-x}Sr_{x}CuO_{4} and Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+δ}. Careful examinations of the Zn- and hole-doping dependences of the residual thermal conductivity κ_{0}/T, as well as the in-plane anisotropy of κ_{0}/T in Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8+δ}, indicate a breakdown of the universal thermal conductivity, a notable theoretical prediction for d-wave superconductors. Our results point to an important role of electronic inhomogeneities, that are not considered in the standard perturbation theory for thermal conductivity, in the under- to optimally-doped regime.

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X. F. Sun, S. Ono, Yasushi Abe, Seiki Komiya, Kouji Segawa, Yoichi Ando. 2006-01-06. Electronic Inhomogeneity and Breakdown of the Universal Thermal Conductivity in Cuprate Superconductors. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.96.017008

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