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T. H. Geballe

Publications and source records attributed to T. H. Geballe.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2018

Anomalous ^{125}Te Nuclear Spin Relaxation Coincident with Charge Kondo Behavior in Superconducting Pb_{1-x}Tl_{x}Te

We report a ^{125}Te-NMR study of single-crystalline Pb_{1-x}Tl_{x}Te for x= 0 (undoped non-superconducting "parent"), 0.35 at% (doped but on the borderline of superconductivity), and 1.0 at% (superconducting, with a critical temperature Tc ~ 1.0 K). The Knight shift in the normal state is enhanced as x increases, corresponding to an increase in the average density of states (DOS). The NMR line-width also increases significantly with increasing x, indicative of a strong spatial variation in the local DOS surrounding each Tl dopant. Remarkably, for the superconducting composition, the ^{125}Te nuclear spin relaxation rate (1/T1T) for Te ions that are close to the Tl dopants is unexpectedly enhanced in the normal state below a characteristic temperature of ~10 K. This temperature coincides with the temperature below which the normal state resistivity experiences an upturn. Such a simultaneous upturn in both the resistivity and (1/T1T) is highly anomalous, and puts Pb_{1-x}Tl_{x}Te in a distinct new class of doped semiconductors. These observations provide microscopic evidence for dynamical charge fluctuations in the absence of paramagnetism, and are consistent with expectations for charge Kondo behavior associated with the Tl dopant ions. In contrast, such anomalies were not detected in the non-superconducting samples (x=0 and 0.35 at%), suggesting a connection between dynamical valence fluctuations and the occurrence of superconductivity in Pb_{1-x}Tl_{x}Te.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2016

Bulk superconductivity at 84 K in the strongly overdoped regime of cuprates

By means of magnetization, specific heat and muon-spin relaxation measurements, we investigate high-pressure oxidized \mohpo, in which overdoping is achieved up to $p \sim 0.45$ hole/Cu, well beyond the $T_c - p$ superconducting dome of cuprates, where Fermi liquid behavior is expected. Surprisingly, we find bulk superconductivity with $T_c$=84 K and superfluid density similar to those of optimally doped Y123. On the other hand, specific heat data display a large electronic contribution at low temperature, comparable to that of nonsuperconducting overdoped La214. These results point at an unusual high-$T_c$ phase with a large fraction of unpaired holes. Further experiments may assess the Fermi liquid properties of the present phase, which would put into question the paradigm that the high $T_c$ of cuprates originates from a non-Fermi liquid ground state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2016

Fermi surface evolution of Na-doped PbTe studied through density functional theory calculations and Shubnikov-de Haas measurements

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the evolution of the low-temperature Fermi surface of lead telluride, PbTe, when holes are introduced through sodium substitution on the lead site. Our Shubnikov-de-Haas measurements for samples with carrier concentrations up to $9.4\times10^{19}$cm$^{-3}$ (0.62 Na atomic $\%$) show the qualitative features of the Fermi surface evolution (topology and effective mass) predicted by our density functional (DFT) calculations within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA): we obtain perfect ellipsoidal L-pockets at low and intermediate carrier concentrations, evolution away from ideal ellipsoidicity for the highest doping studied, and cyclotron effective masses increasing monotonically with doping level, implying deviations from perfect parabolicity throughout the whole band. Our measurements show, however, that standard DFT calculations underestimate the energy difference between the L-point and $Σ$-line valence band maxima, since our data are consistent with occupation of a single Fermi surface pocket over the entire doping range studied, whereas the calculations predict an occupation of the $Σ$-pockets at higher doping. Our results for low and intermediate compositions are consistent with a non-parabolic Kane-model dispersion, in which the L-pockets are ellipsoids of fixed anisotropy throughout the band, but the effective masses depend strongly on Fermi energy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2014

Stripe-like nanoscale structural phase separation and optimal inhomogeneity in superconducting BaPb$_{1-x}$Bi$_x$O$_3$

Structural phase separation in the form of partially disordered stripes, with characteristic length scales in the nanometer range, is observed for superconducting BaPb$_{1-x}$Bi$_x$O$_3$. The evolution of the superconducting coherence length with composition relative to the size of these stripes suggests an important role of the nanostructure in determining the shape of the superconducting dome. It is proposed that the maximum $T_c$ is determined by a kind of "optimal inhomogeneity", characterized by a crossover from an inhomogeneous macroscopic superconductor to a granular superconductor for which phase fluctuations suppress $T_c$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2014

Paired Insulators and High Temperature Superconductors

Almost forty years ago, Phil Anderson introduced the negative U center to account for the fact that most glasses and amorphous semiconductors are diamagnetic. This paper has been highly influential, but certainly does not rank among Phil's most famous works. However, focusing on it enables us to reacquaint a younger generation with another of Phil's contributions, and to use this as a springboard to discuss some forward looking extensions that continue to fascinate us.

cond-mat.str-el↗
arXiv2013

Highly-Efficient Thermoelectronic Conversion of Solar Energy and Heat into Electric Power

Electric power may, in principle, be generated in a highly efficient manner from heat created by focused solar irradiation, chemical combustion, or nuclear decay by means of thermionic energy conversion. As the conversion efficiency of the thermionic process tends to be degraded by electron space charges, the efficiencies of thermionic generators have amounted to only a fraction of those fundamentally possible. We show that this space-charge problem can be resolved by shaping the electric potential distribution of the converter such that the static electron space-charge clouds are transformed into an output current. Although the technical development of practical generators will require further substantial efforts, we conclude that a highly efficient transformation of heat to electric power may well be achieved.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2012

Optimal T$_c$ of cuprates: role of screening and reservoir layers

We explore the role of charge reservoir layers (CRLs) on the superconducting transition temperature of cuprate superconductors. Specifically, we study the effect of CRLs with efficient short distance dielectric screening coupled capacitively to copper oxide metallic layers. We argue that dielectric screening at short distances and at frequencies of the order of the superconducting gap, but small compared to the Fermi energy can significantly enhance T$_c$, the transition temperature of an unconventional superconductor. We discuss the relevance of our qualitative arguments to a broader class of unconventional superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2012

Field-Tuned Superconductor-Insulator Transition in BaPb1-xBixO3

BaPb$_{1-x}$Bi$_x$O$_3$ is found to exhibit a field-tuned superconductor to insulator transition for Bi compositions 0.24 $\leq x \leq$ 0.29. The magnetoresistance of optimally doped samples manifests a temperature-independent crossing point and scaling of the form $ρ(T,H)=ρ_c F(|H-H_{c}|T^{-1/zν})$, where $H_c$ is the field determined by the temperature-independent crossing point, and $zν$ = 0.69 $\pm$ 0.03. High resolution transmission electron microscopy measurements reveal a complex intergrown nanostructure comprising tetragonal and orthorhombic polymorphs. Data are analyzed in terms of both a classical effective medium theory and a field-tuned quantum phase transition, neither of which provides a completely satisfactory explanation for this remarkable phenomenology.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2011

Single crystal growth by self-flux method of the mixed valence gold halides Cs$_2$[Au$^{I}$X$_2$][Au$^{III}$X$_4$] (X=Br,I)

High quality single crystals of Cs$_2$Au$_2$X$_6$ (X=Br,I) were grown using a ternary self-flux method. Structural refinements based on single crystal X-ray diffraction measurements show that both materials have a distorted perovskite structure belonging to the I4/mmm space group with full site occupancy. Transport measurements reveal a large bandgap of 550 $\pm$ 100 meV for Cs$_2$Au$_2$I$_6$ and 520 $\pm$ 80 meV for Cs$_2$Au$_2$Br$_6$. Initial attempts at chemical substitution are described.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Anomalous scattering in superconducting indium-doped tin telluride

Results of resistivity, Hall effect, magnetoresistance, susceptibility and heat capacity measurements are presented for single crystals of indium-doped tin telluride with compositions Sn$_{.988-x}$In$_x$Te where $0 \leq x \leq 8.4 %$, along with microstructural analysis based on transmission electron microscopy. For small indium concentrations, $x \leq 0.9 %$ the material does not superconduct above 0.3 K, and the transport properties are consistent with simple metallic behavior. For $x \geq 2.7 %$ the material exhibits anomalous low temperature scattering and for $x \geq 6.1 %$ bulk superconductivity is observed with critical temperatures close to 2 K. Intermediate indium concentrations $2.7% \leq x \leq 3.8%$ do not exhibit bulk superconductivity above 0.7 K. Susceptibility data indicate the absence of magnetic impurities, while magnetoresistance data are inconsistent with localization effects, leading to the conclusion that indium-doped SnTe is a candidate charge Kondo system, similar to thallium-doped PbTe.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2010

Out of plane effect on the superconductivity of Sr2-xBaxCuO3+d with Tc up to 98K

We comment on the paper published by W.B. Gao, Q.Q. Liu, L.X. Yang, Y.Yu, F.Y. Li, C.Q. Jin and S. Uchida in Phys. Rev. B 80, 094523 (2009) and give alternate explanations for the enhanced superconductivity. The enhanced onset Tc of 98K observed upon substituting Ba for Sr is attributed to optimal oxygen ordering rather than to the increase in volume. Comparison with La2CuO(4+x) samples suggest that the effect of disorder is overestimated.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Correlation of anomalous scattering and superconductivity in Pb$_{.99}$Tl$_{.01}$Te doped with additional indium donors

Recent evidence for a charge-Kondo effect in superconducting samples of Pb$_{1-x}$Tl$_x$Te [1] has brought renewed attention to the possibility of negative U superconductivity in this material, associated with valence fluctuations on the Tl impurity sites [2]. Here, we use indium as an electron-donor to counterdope Pb$_{.99}$Tl$_{.01}$Te and study the effect of the changing chemical potential on the Kondo-like physics and on the superconducting critical temperature, $T_c$. We find that, as the chemical potential moves away from the value where superconductivity, Kondo-like physics, and chemical potential pinning are expected, both $T_c$ and the low-temperature resistance anomaly are suppressed. This provides further evidence that both the superconductivity and the Kondo-like behavior are induced by the same source, as anticipated in the negative U model.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

Enhanced Superconductivity in Sr2CuO4-v

A critical review of previous investigations of the superconductivity with enhanced Tc ~ 95K found in Sr2CuO4-v shows that new physics occurs in a highly overdoped region of the cuprate phase diagram. Moreover, evidence is adduced from the literature that 30% of the oxygen sites in the CuO2 layers are vacant, a conclusion which is at odds with the universally made assumption that superconductivity originates in stoichiometric CuO2 layers. While further research is needed in order to identify the pairing mechanism(s) responsible for the enhanced Tc, we suggest possible candidates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2009

ARPES studies of the electronic structure of LaOFe(P,As)

We report a comparison study of LaOFeP and LaOFeAs, two parent compounds of recently discovered iron-pnictide superconductors, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Both systems exhibit some common features that are very different from well-studied cuprates. In addition, important differences have also been observed between these two ferrooxypnictides. For LaOFeP, quantitative agreement can be found between our photoemission data and the LDA band structure calculations, suggesting that a weak coupling approach based on an itinerant ground state may be more appropriate for understanding this new superconducting compound. In contrast, the agreement between LDA calculations and experiments in LaOFeAs is relatively poor, as highlighted by the unexpected Fermi surface topology around (pi,pi). Further investigations are required for a comprehensive understanding of the electronic structure of LaOFeAs and related compounds.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Enhanced superconducting pairing interaction in indium-doped tin telluride

The ferroelectric degenerate semiconductor Sn$_{1-δ}$Te exhibits superconductivity with critical temperatures, $T_c$, of up to 0.3 K for hole densities of order 10$^{21}$ cm$^{-3}$. When doped on the tin site with greater than $x_c$ $= 1.7(3)%$ indium atoms, however, superconductivity is observed up to 2 K, though the carrier density does not change significantly. We present specific heat data showing that a stronger pairing interaction is present for $x > x_c$ than for $x < x_c$. By examining the effect of In dopant atoms on both $T_c$ and the temperature of the ferroelectric structural phase transition, $T_{SPT}$, we show that phonon modes related to this transition are not responsible for this $T_c$ enhancement, and discuss a plausible candidate based on the unique properties of the indium impurities.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2008

Electronic structure of the iron-based superconductor LaOFeP

The recent discovery of superconductivity in the so-called iron-oxypnictide family of compounds has generated intense interest. The layered crystal structure with transition metal ions in planar square lattice form and the discovery of spin-density-wave order near 130 K seem to hint at a strong similarity with the copper oxide superconductors. A burning current issue is the nature of the ground state of the parent compounds. Two distinct classes of theories have been put forward depending on the underlying band structures: local moment antiferromagnetic ground state for strong coupling approach and itinerant ground state for weak coupling approach. The local moment magnetism approach stresses on-site correlations and proximity to a Mott insulating state and thus the resemblance to cuprates; while the latter approach emphasizes the itinerant electron physics and the interplay between the competing ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic fluctuations. Such a controversy is partly due to the lack of conclusive experimental information on the electronic structures. Here we report the first angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) investigation of LaOFeP (Tc = 5.9 K), the first reported iron-based superconductor. Our results favor the itinerant ground state, albeit with band renormalization. In addition, our data reveal important differences between these and copper based superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2007

A comment on the superconductivity of Sr2CuO3+delta

We have revisited data in the literature and find compelling reasons for believing that enhanced superconductivity occurs in Sr2CuO3+delta when about one third of the oxygen sites in the CuO2 layers are vacant, contrary to the almost universally accepted assumption that superconducting interactions in the high Tc cuprates occur in stoichiometric CuO2 layers.

cond-mat.supr-con↗