arXiv subjects

Sung-Ik Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Sung-Ik Lee.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2002

Effects of unreacted Mg impurities on the transport properties of MgB2

We synthesized polycrystalline MgB2 from a stoichiometric mixture of Mg and the 11 B isotope under different conditions. All the samples showed bulk superconductivity with Tc = 38~39 K. The samples containing the least amount of unreacted Mg showed the highest Tc and the sharpest transition width (Delta_Tc). A residual resistivity ratio (RRR) of ~ 5.8, and a magnetoresistance (MR), at 40 K, of 12% were obtained for these samples. Moreover, there was no upturn of resistivity in a low temperature region at 10 Tesla. The samples containing appreciable amounts of unreacted Mg showed quite different behaviors; the values of Delta_Tc, RRR, and MR were much larger. An upturn appeared in resistivity of the samples below about 50 K at 10 T and is thought to be due to the unreacted Mg.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Strongly correlated s-wave pairing in the n-type infinite-layer cuprate

Quasiparticle tunneling spectra of the electron-doped (n-type) infinite-layer cuprate Sr_{0.9}La_{0.1}CuO_2 reveal characteristics that counter a number of common phenomena in the hole-doped (p-type) cuprates. The optimally doped Sr_{0.9}La_{0.1}CuO_2 with T_c = 43 K exhibits a momentum-independent superconducting gap Δ= 13.0 +- 1.0 meV that substantially exceeds the BCS value, and the spectral characteristics indicate insignificant quasiparticle damping by spin fluctuations and the absence of pseudogap. The response to quantum impurities in the Cu-sites also differs fundamentally from that of the p-type cuprates with d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing symmetry.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Reflection of two-gap nature in penetration depth measurements of MgB$_2$ film

The magnetic penetration depth, $λ^{-2}(T)$, in the basal plane of a magnesium diboride (MgB$_2$) film was measured using a two-coil mutual inductance technique at 50 kHz. This film has $T_c\simeq 38$ K, $ΔT_c \leq 1$ K, and $λ(0)\sim 1500$ Å. At low temperatures, $λ^{-2}(T)$ shows a clear exponential temperature dependence, indicating s-wave superconducting order parameter symmetry. However, the data are not quantitatively well described by theory assuming a single gap. From the data fit by the full BCS calculation assuming a double gap, the values of the two distinct gaps were obtained: $Δ_S(0)=2.61\pm0.41$ meV and $Δ_L(0)=6.50\pm0.33$ meV. The contributions of the small and the large gaps to the total superfluid density at T=0 were estimated to be 21% and 79%, respectively. Finally, we consider the effect of gap anisotropy on the penetration depth measurements, and find that the anisotropy does not play a significant role in determining the temperature dependence of the penetration depth.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Complicated nature of the gap in MgB2: magnetic field-dependent optical studies

We investigated the magnetic field (H)-dependent optical conductivity spectra of MgB2 thin film in the far-infrared region. The H-dependences can be explained by the increase of normal metallic regions embedded in the superconducting background. The area fraction of the normal metallic region increases rather quickly at low field, but slowly at high field. It follows neither H- nor H^{1/2}-dependences. The results suggest the complicated nature of the superconducting gap in MgB2.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2002

Superconducting energy gap distribution in c-axis oriented MgB$_2$ thin film from point contact study

We have analyzed about 100 voltage-dependent differential resistance dV/dI(V) curves of metallic point contacts between c-axis oriented MgB$_2$ thin film and Ag, which exhibit clear Andreev reflection features connected with the superconducting gap. About one half of the curves show the presence of a second larger gap. The histogram of the double-gap distribution reveals distinct maxima at 2.4 and 7 meV, while curves with a single-gap features result in more broad maximum at 3.5 meV. The double-gap distribution is in qualitative agreement with the distribution of gap values over the Fermi surface calculated by H. J. Choi et al. (cond-mat/0111183). The data unequivocally show the presence of two gaps $Δ_{S}=2.45\pm 0.15$ meV and $Δ_{L}=7.0\pm 0.45$ meV in MgB$_2$ with gap ratio $2.85\pm 0.15$. Our observations prove further a widely discussed multi-gap scenario for MgB$_2$, where two distinct gaps are seen in the clean limit, while a single averaged gap is present in the dirty one.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Microstructure and pinning properties of hexagonal-disc shaped single crystalline MgB2

We synthesized hexagonal-disc-shaped MgB2 single crystals under high-pressure conditions and analyzed the microstructure and pinning properties. The lattice constants and the Laue pattern of the crystals from X-ray micro-diffraction showed the crystal symmetry of MgB2. A thorough crystallographic mapping within a single crystal showed that the edge and c-axis of hexagonal-disc shape exactly matched the (10-10) and the (0001) directions of the MgB2 phase. Thus, these well-shaped single crystals may be the best candidates for studying the direction dependences of the physical properties. The magnetization curve and the magnetic hysteresis for these single crystals showed the existence of a wide reversible region and weak pinning properties, which supported our single crystals being very clean.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Universal scaling of the Hall resistivity in MgB2 superconductors

The mixed-state Hall resistivity and the longitudinal resistivity in superconducting MgB2 thin films have been investigated as a function of the magnetic field over a wide range of current densities from 100 to 10000 A/cm^2. We observe a universal Hall scaling behavior with a constant exponent of 2.0, which is independent of the magnetic field, the temperature, and the current density. This result can be interpreted well within the context of recent theories.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

In-plane Hall effect in c-axis-oriented MgB2 thin films

We have measured the longitudinal resistivity and the Hall resistivity in the ab-plane of highly c-axis-oriented MgB2 thin films. In the normal state, the Hall coefficient (R_H) behaves as R_H ~ T with increasing temperature (T) up to 130 K and then deviates from that linear T-dependence at higher temperatures. The T^2 dependence of the cotangent of the Hall angle is only observed above 130 K. The mixed-state Hall effect reveals no sign anomaly over a wide range of current densities from 10^2 to 10^4 A/cm^2 and for magnetic fields up to 5 T.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Effect of High Energy Heavy Ion Irradiation on c-axis Oriented MgB2 Films

We report on the transport, magnetization, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements on c-axis oriented thin films of MgB2 irradiated with high energy heavy ions of uranium and gold. We find a slight shift in the irreversibility and upper critical field lines to higher temperatures after irradiation. In addition, we observe an increase in the critical current at high temperatures near Tc2 and only a small change at low temperatures. Furthermore, we find no evidence for the existence of anisotropic pinning induced by heavy ion irradiation in this material. Tunneling spectra in an irradiated sample show a double gap structure with a flat background and very low zero-bias conductance, behaving in much the same way as the pristine unirradiated sample.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Gap Anisotropy, Spin Fluctuations and Normal-State Properties of the Electron Doped Superconductor Sr0.9La0.1CuO2

We report the results from a thermopower and a Cu nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) study of the infinite CuO2 layer electron doped high temperature superconducting cuprate (HTSC), Sr0.9La0.1CuO2. We find that the temperature dependence of the thermopower, S(T), is different from that observed in the hole doped HTSC. In particular, we find that dS(T)/dT is positive above ~120 K. However, we show that S(T) can still be described by the same model developed for the hole doped HTSC and hence S(T) is not anomalous and does not imply phonon mediated pairing as has previously been suggested. The Cu NMR data reveal a Knight shift and spin lattice relaxation rate below Tc that are inconsistent with isotropic s-wave pairing. The Cu spin lattice relaxation rate in the normal state, however, is Curie-Weiss like and is comparable to that of the optimally and overdoped hole doped HTSC, La2-xSrxCuO4. The magnitude of the Knight shift indicates that the density of states at the Fermi level is anomalously small when compared with the hole doped HTSC with the same Tc, indicating that the size of the density of states at the Fermi level is of little importance in the HTSC. We find no evidence of the normal state pseudogap that is observed in the hole doped HTSC and which was recently reported to exist in the electron doped HTSC, Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4, from infrared reflectance measurements.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Energy gap, penetration depth and surface resistance of MgB2 thin films determined by microwave resonator mesurements

We have measured the temperature dependence of the microwave surface impedance Zs = Rs + iΩμ_0 \Lamda of two c-axis oriented MgB2 films at a frequency Ω/(2π) of 17.9 GHz employing a dielectric (sapphire) resonator technique. The temperature dependence of the magnetic field penetration depth \Lamda can be well fitted from 5 K close to Tc by the standard BCS integral expression assuming the reduced energy gap Delta(0)/kTc to be as low as 1.13 and 1.03 for the two samples. For the penetration depth at zero temperatures, values of 110 nm and 115 nm were determined from the fit. Our results clearly indicates the s-wave character of the order parameter. The temperature dependence of the surface resistance Rs below Tc/2 is consistent with the low value of the energy gap. The surface resistance below 8 K was found to be below the resolution limit of 100 microOhm of our measurement technique.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Superconducting gap and electron-phonon interaction in MgB$_2$ thin film studied by point contacts

The superconducting order parameter and electron-phonon interaction (EPI) in a MgB$_{2}$ c-axis oriented thin film are investigated by point contacts (PCs). Two superconducting gaps $Δ_{Small}\approx 2.6$ meV and $Δ_{Large}\approx 7.4$ meV have been established, which fairly well correspond to the theoretical gap ratio 1:3. The reconstructed PC EPI function along c-axis has above 30 meV similarities with the phonon DOS, while a pronounced maximum around 20 meV is resolved pointing out that the low frequency phonon mode can be of importance for pairing. We have estimated the Fermi velocity in MgB$_2$ about 5$\times 10^7$ cm/s.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Spectroscopic Evidence for Anisotropic S-Wave Pairing Symmetry in MgB2

Scanning tunneling spectroscopy of superconducting MgB$_2$ ($T_c = 39$ K) were studied on high-density pellets and c-axis oriented films. The sample surfaces were chemically etched to remove surface carbonates and hydroxides, and the data were compared with calculated spectra for all symmetry-allowed pairing channels. The pairing potential ($Δ_k$) is best described by an anisotropic s-wave pairing model, with $Δ_k = Δ_{xy} \sin ^2 θ_k + Δ_z \cos ^2 θ_k$, where $θ_k$ is the angle relative to the crystalline c-axis, $Δ_z \sim 8.0$ meV, and $Δ_{xy} \sim 5.0$ meV.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

A Magnetization and Microwave Study of Superconducting MgB2

We report magnetic field dependent magnetization and microwave impedance measurements on a MgB2 superconductor prepared by high pressure synthesis. We find that the upper critical field is linearly dependent on temperature near Tc and the dc irreversibility field exponent is ~1.4. The microwave data display an excess surface resistance below Tc which is neither observed in low Tc nor in high temperature superconductors (HTSC). The real part of the complex conductivity, sigma1, shows a huge maximum below Tc and the imaginary part, sigma2, is linear for temperatures less than 20 K, which can not be simply accounted for by the weak coupling BCS model with an s-wave superconducting order parameter. We speculate that this may be due to the two gaps reported by other studies. Unlike measurements on the high temperature superconducting cuprates, we find no evidence of weak-links in the superconducting state. By inverting the magnetic field dependent impedance data, we find a vortex depinning frequency that decreases with increasing magnetic field and evidence for an anisotropic upper critical magnetic field.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Optical studies of charge dynamics in c-axis oriented superconducting MgB2 films

Temperature dependent optical conductivities and DC resistivity of c-axis oriented superconducting (Tc = 39.6 K) MgB2 films (~ 450 nm) have been measured. The normal state ab-plane optical conductivities can be described by the Drude model with a temperature independent Drude plasma frequency of ω_{p,D}=13,600 +/- 100 cm-1 or 1.68 +/- 0.01 eV. The normal state resistivity is fitted by the Bloch-Gruneisen formula with an electron-phonon coupling constant λ_{tr} = 0.13 +/- 0.02. The optical conductivity spectra below T_c of these films suggest that MgB2 is a multi-gap superconductor.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

X-ray Photoemission Study of the Infinite-Layer Cuprate Superconductor Sr0.9La0.1CuO2

The electron-doped infinite-layer superconductor Sr0.9La0.1CuO2 is studied with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). A nonaqueous chemical etchant is shown to effectively remove contaminants and to yield surfaces from which signals intrinsic to the superconductor dominate. These data are compared to measurements from hole-doped La1.85Sr0.15CuO4, from undoped La2CuO4, and from electron-doped Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4-d. The Cu 2p core level is consistent with a lower value of the O 2p to Cu 3d charge transfer energy D than in hole-doped cuprates. A clear Fermi edge is observed in the valence band region.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Synthesis and pinning properties of the infinite-layer superconductor Sr0.9La0.1CuO

We report the high-pressure synthesis of the electron-doped infinite-layer superconductor Sr0.9La0.1CuO2 and its superconducting properties. A Rietveld analysis of X-ray powder diffraction data showed that, within the resolution of the measurement, the sample had purely an infinite-layer structure without any discernible impurities. The superconducting volume fraction and the transition width were greatly improved compared to those in previous reports. The irreversibility field line and the intragranular critical current density were much higher than those of La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 and Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4. The stronger pinning behaviors are consistent with the strong interlayer coupling due to the short distance between CuO2 planes.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

High current-carrying capability in c-axis-oriented superconducting MgB2 thin films

In high-quality c-axis-oriented MgB2 thin films, we observed high critical current densities (Jc) of 16 MA/cm^2 at 15 K under self fields comparable to those of cuprate high-temperature superconductors. The extrapolated value of Jc at 5 K was estimated to be 40 MA/cm^2. For a magnetic field of 5 T, a Jc of 0.1 MA/cm^2 was detected at 15 K, suggesting that this compound would be a very promising candidate for practical applications at high temperature and lower power consumption. The vortex-glass phase is considered to be a possible explanation for the observed high current-carrying capability.

cond-mat.supr-con↗