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G. Deutscher

Publications and source records attributed to G. Deutscher.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2024

Tunneling spectra of unconventional quasi-two-dimensional superconductors

Superfluid condensation can fundamentally be different from that predicted by the Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer (BCS) theory. In a broad class of low-carrier-density superconductors, such as granular aluminum, doped nitrides, and high-Tc cuprates, tunneling experiments reveal strong rather than weak coupling, as well as a conductance that does not return to that of the normal state upon approaching the critical temperature Tc. Here, we show that this behavior is in quantitative agreement with a tunneling theory that takes into account the large pairing-fluctuation effects that occur in the crossover region from weak-coupling BCS to strong-coupling Bose-Einstein condensation, provided the coherence energy scale rather than the single-particle energy gap is used to evaluate the coupling ratio. We also propose that the tendency toward strong coupling is a generic property of quasi-2D low-carrier-density superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2020

Ultra-high critical current densities of superconducting YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ thin films in the overdoped state

Doping is one of the most relevant paths to tune the functionality of cuprates, it determines carrier density and the overall physical properties of these impressive superconducting materials. We present an oxygen doping study of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ (YBCO) thin films from underdoped to overdoped state, correlating the measured charge carrier density, $n_\textrm{H}$, the hole doping, $p$, and the critical current density, $J_\textrm{c}$. Our results show a continuous increase of $J_\textrm{c}$ with charge carrier density, reaching 90 MA/cm$^2$ at 5 K for $p$-doping at the Quantum Critical Point (QCP), linked to an increase of the superconducting condensation energy. The ultra-high $J_\textrm{c}$ achived corresponds to a third of the depairing current, i.e. a value 60 % higher than ever reported in YBCO films. The overdoped regime is characterized by a sudden increase of $n_\textrm{H}$, associated to the reconstruction of the Fermi-surface at the QCP. Overdoping YBCO opens a promising route to extend the current carrying capabilities of REBCO coated conductors for applications.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2014

Mott transition in granular aluminum

The presence of free spins in granular Al films is directly demonstrated by $μ$SR measurements. A Mott transition is observed by probing the increase of the spin-flip scattering rate of conduction electrons as the nano-size metallic grains are being progressively decoupled. Analysis of the magneto-resistance in terms of an effective Fermi energy shows that it becomes of the order of the grains electrostatic charging energy at a room temperature resistivity $ρ\approx 50,000~μΩ~cm$, at which a metal to insulator transition is known to exist. As this transition is approached the magneto-resistance exhibits a Heavy-Fermion like behavior, consistent with an increased electron effective mass.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2013

Kondo-like behavior near the metal-to-insulator transition of nano-scale granular aluminum

We show that the normal state transport properties of nano-scale granular Aluminum films, near the metal to insulator transition, present striking similarities with those of Kondo systems. Those include a negative magneto-resistance, a minimum of resistance R at a temperature Tm in metallic films, a logarithmic rise at low temperatures and a negative curvature of R(T) at high temperatures. These normal state properties are interpreted in terms of spin-flip scattering of conduction electrons by local magnetic moments, possibly located at the metal/oxide interfaces. Their co-existence with the enhanced superconductivity seen in these films is discussed.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Low-temperature dependence of the thermo-magnetic transport properties of the SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interface

We report transport measurements, including: Hall, Seebeck and Nernst Effect. All these transport properties exhibit anomalous field and temperature dependences, with a change of behavior observed at about H 1.5T and T 15K. We were able to reconcile the low-temperature-low-field behavior of all transport properties using a simple two band analysis. A more detailed model is required in order to explain the high magnetic field regime.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2009

Local tunneling probe of (110) Y_0.95Ca_0.05Ba_2Cu_3O_7-delta thin films in a magnetic field

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy was performed on (110)-oriented thin films of Ca-overdoped Y$_{0.95}$Ca$_{0.05}$Ba$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-δ}$ at 4.2K, to probe the local evolution of Andreev$-$Saint-James surface states in a c-axis magnetic field. In zero field, we observed conductance spectra with spontaneously-split peaks and spectra with unsplit zero-bias peaks. The former showed enhanced splitting with field, and the latter showed threshold splitting above finite fields. Although both field evolutions can be described in terms of screening and orbital supercurrents, within the framework of $d\pm iα$ pairing ($d$=$d_{x^2-y^2}$; $α$=$d_{xy}$,$s$), the enhanced splitting is consistent with only the $d$ + $iα$ state. Our results have direct implications on the stability of broken time-reversal symmetry in cuprate superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Bean-Livingston barrier enhancement on nodal surface of the d-wave superconductor YBa2Cu3O{7-x}

Vortex entry into (110) oriented YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ films has been studied by tunneling into Andreev - Saint-James bound states, whose energy is shifted by surface currents. At low temperatures, the characteristic field for vortex entry has been found to increase up to values several times higher than that of the Bean-Livingston entry field for conventional superconductors, in agreement with recent theoretical predictions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Polar Kerr Effect Measurements of YBa2Cu3O6+x: Evidence for Broken Symmetry Near the Pseudogap Temperature

Polar Kerr effect in the high-Tc superconductor \YBCO was measured at zero magnetic field with high precision using a cyogenic Sagnac fiber interferometer. We observed non-zero Kerr rotations of order $\sim 1 μ$rad appearing near the pseudogap temperature $T^*$, and marking what appears to be a true phase transition. Anomalous magnetic behavior in magnetic-field training of the effect suggests that time reversal symmetry is already broken above room temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Field Induced Nodal Order Parameter in the Tunneling Spectrum of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ Superconductor

We report planar tunneling measurements on thin films of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ at various doping levels under magnetic fields. By choosing a special setup configuration, we have probed a field induced energy scale that dominates in the vicinity of a node of the d-wave superconducting order parameter. We found a high doping sensitivity for this energy scale. At Optimum doping this energy scale is in agreement with an induced $id_{xy}$ order parameter. We found that it can be followed down to low fields at optimum doping, but not away from it.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2007

Transition from a mixed to a pure d-wave symmetry in superconducting optimally doped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ thin films under applied fields

We have probed the Landau levels of nodal quasi-particles by tunneling along a nodal direction of (110) oriented YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ thin films with a magnetic field applied perpendicular to the $CuO_2$ planes, and parallel to the film's surface. In optimally doped films and at low temperature, finite energy nodal states are clearly observed in films thinner than the London penetration depth. Above a well defined temperature the order parameter reverts to a pure \emph{d}-wave symmetry.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Remarkable change of tunneling conductance in YBCO films in fields up to 32.4T

We studied the tunneling density of states in YBCO films under strong currents flowing along node directions. The currents were induced by fields of up to 32.4T parallel to the film surface and perpendicular to the $CuO_{2}$ planes. We observed a remarkable change in the tunneling conductance at high fields where the gap-like feature shifts discontinuously from 15meV to a lower bias of 11meV, becoming more pronounced as the field increases. The effect takes place in increasing fields around 9T and the transition back to the initial state occurs around 5T in decreasing fields. We argue that this transition is driven by surface currents induced by the applied magnetic field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2005

Kinetic energy change with doping upon superfluid condensation in high temperature superconductors

In conventional BCS superconductors, the electronic kinetic energy increases upon superfluid condensation (the change DEkin is positive). Here we show that in the high critical temperature superconductor Bi-2212, DEkin crosses over from a fully compatible conventional BCS behavior (DEkin>0) to an unconventional behavior (DEkin<0) as the free carrier density decreases. If a single mechanism is responsible for superconductivity across the whole phase diagram of high critical temperature superconductors, this mechanism should allow for a smooth transition between such two regimes around optimal doping.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2004

Anomalous Fermi Liquid Behavior of Overdoped High-Tc Superconductors

According to a generic temperature vs. carrier-doping (T-p) phase diagram of high-temperature superconductors it has been proposed that as doping increases to the overdoped region they approach gradually a conventional (canonical) Fermi Liquid. However, Hall effect measurements in several systems reported by different authors show a still strong \emph{T}-dependence in overdoped samples. We report here electrical transport measurements of Y_{1-x}Ca_{x}Ba_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-delta} thin films presenting a temperature dependence of the Hall constant, R_H, which does not present a gradual transition towards the T-independent behavior of a canonical Fermi Liquid. Instead, the T-dependence passes by a minimum near optimal doping and then increases again in the overdoped region. We discuss the theoretical predictions from two representative Fermi Liquid models and show that they can not give a satisfactory explanation to our data. We conclude that this region of the phase diagram in YBCO, as in most HTSC, is not a canonical Fermi Liquid, therefore we call it Anomalous Fermi Liquid.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2004

Evidence for a Bulk Complex Order-Parameter in Y0.9Ca0.1Ba2Cu3O7-delta Thin Films

We have measured the penetration depth of overdoped Y0.9Ca0.1Ba2Cu3O7-delta (Ca-YBCO) thin films using two different methods. The change of the penetration depth as a function of temperature has been measured using the parallel plate resonator (PPR), while its absolute value was obtained from a quasi-optical transmission measurements. Both sets of measurements are compatible with an order parameter of the form: Delta*dx2-y2+i*delta*dxy, with Delta=14.5 +- 1.5 meV and delta=1.8 meV, indicating a finite gap at low temperature. Below 15 K the drop of the scattering rate of uncondensed carriers becomes steeper in contrast to a flattening observed for optimally doped YBCO films. This decrease supports our results on the penetration depth temperature dependence. The findings are in agreement with tunneling measurements on similar Ca-YBCO thin films.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2003

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of a-axis YBa_2Cu_3O_7-δfilms:k-selectivity and the shape of the superconductor

Tunneling spectroscopy of epitaxial (100) oriented \chem{YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-δ}} films was performed using an STM at 4.2 K. On atomically smooth areas, tunneling spectra revealing clear U-shaped gaps with relatively low zero bias conductance were measured. These spectra can be well fitted to the tunneling theory into a d-wave superconductor only when introducing a strong dependence of the tunneling probability on the wave-vector \emph{\textbf{k}}. Possible origins for this \emph{\textbf{k}}-selectivity in STM measurements will be discussed. On other areas, V-shaped gaps as well as zero bias conductance peaks are observed, indicating relaxation of \emph{\textbf{k}}-selectivity and the effect of nanofaceting, respectively.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2003

Andreev reflections on Y1-xCaxBa2Cu3O7-delta evidence for an unusual proximity effect

We have measured Andreev reflections between an Au tip and Y_{1-x}Ca_{x}Ba_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7 - δ} thin films in the in-plane orientation. The conductance spectra are best fitted with a pair potential having the "d_{x^{2}-y^{2}+is" symmetry. We find that the amplitude of the "is" component is enhanced as the contact transparency is increased. This is an indication for an unusual proximity effect that modifies the pair potential in the superconductor near the surface with the normal metal.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2002

Order parameter node removal in the d-wave superconductor $YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-x}$ under magnetic field

hether the node in the order parameter characteristic of a $d-wave$ superconductor can or cannot be removed by an applied magnetic field has been a subject of debate in recent years. Thermal conductivity results on the high Tc superconductor $Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8}$ originally explained by Laughlin in terms of such a node removal were complicated by hysteresis effects, and judged inconclusive. We present new tunneling data on $YBa_{2}Cu_{3}O_{7-x}$ that support the existence of the node removal effect, under specific orientations of the sample's surfaces and magnetic field. We also explain the hysteretic behavior and other previous tunneling results so far not understood satisfactorily, attributing them to a combination of node removal and Doppler shift of low energy surface bound states.

cond-mat.supr-con↗