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Nanoscale Proximity Effect in the High-Temperature Superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ Using a Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Colin V. Parker, Aakash Pushp, Abhay N. Pasupathy, Kenjiro K. Gomes, Jinsheng Wen, Zhijun Xu, Shimpei Ono, Genda Gu, and Ali Yazdani
Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 117001 – Published 15 March 2010
Physics logo See Viewpoint: Proximity to understanding the cuprates

Abstract

High-temperature cuprate superconductors exhibit extremely local nanoscale phenomena and strong sensitivity to doping. While other experiments have looked at nanoscale interfaces between layers of different dopings, we focus on the interplay between naturally inhomogeneous nanoscale regions. Using scanning tunneling microscopy to carefully track the same region of the sample as a function of temperature, we show that regions with weak superconductivity can persist to elevated temperatures if bordered by regions of strong superconductivity. This suggests that it may be possible to increase the maximum possible transition temperature by controlling the distribution of dopants.

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  • Received 16 November 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.117001

©2010 American Physical Society

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Proximity to understanding the cuprates

Published 15 March 2010

Scanning tunneling microscopy experiments in a high-temperature superconductor probe the temperature evolution of local electronic states, revealing that regions in the sample exhibiting weak superconductivity can persist to elevated temperatures if they are surrounded by regions of strong superconductivity.

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Authors & Affiliations

Colin V. Parker1, Aakash Pushp1,2, Abhay N. Pasupathy1, Kenjiro K. Gomes1,*, Jinsheng Wen3, Zhijun Xu3, Shimpei Ono4, Genda Gu3, and Ali Yazdani1

  • 1Joseph Henry Laboratories and Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA
  • 2Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
  • 3Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, New York 11973, USA
  • 4Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Komae, Tokyo 201-8511, Japan

  • *Current Address: Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.

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Issue

Vol. 104, Iss. 11 — 19 March 2010

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