Nanoscale interplay of strain and doping in a high-temperature superconductor

Ilija Zeljkovic; Jouko Nieminen; Dennis Huang; Tay-Rong Chang; Yang He; Horng-Tay Jeng; Zhijun Xu; Jinsheng Wen; Genda Gu; Hsin Lin; Robert S Markiewicz; Arun Bansil; Jennifer E Hoffman

doi:10.1021/nl501890k

Nanoscale interplay of strain and doping in a high-temperature superconductor

Nano Lett. 2014 Dec 10;14(12):6749-53. doi: 10.1021/nl501890k. Epub 2014 Nov 7.

Authors

Ilija Zeljkovic¹, Jouko Nieminen, Dennis Huang, Tay-Rong Chang, Yang He, Horng-Tay Jeng, Zhijun Xu, Jinsheng Wen, Genda Gu, Hsin Lin, Robert S Markiewicz, Arun Bansil, Jennifer E Hoffman

Affiliation

¹ Department of Physics, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.

PMID: 25365704
DOI: 10.1021/nl501890k

Abstract

The highest-temperature superconductors are electronically inhomogeneous at the nanoscale, suggesting the existence of a local variable that could be harnessed to enhance the superconducting pairing. Here we report the relationship between local doping and local strain in the cuprate superconductor Bi(2)Sr(2)CaCu(2)O(8+x). We use scanning tunneling microscopy to discover that the crucial oxygen dopants are periodically distributed in correlation with local strain. Our picoscale investigation of the intraunit-cell positions of all oxygen dopants provides essential structural input for a complete microscopic theory.

Keywords: Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x; High-Tc superconductors; cuprates; scanning tunneling microscopy; strain.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Computer Simulation
Copper / chemistry*
Elastic Modulus
Electric Conductivity*
Hot Temperature
Materials Testing
Metal Nanoparticles / chemistry*
Metal Nanoparticles / ultrastructure*
Models, Chemical*
Tensile Strength

Substances

Copper
cuprous oxide