Search

The development of defect analysis for inorganic semiconductors in the past century paved the way for the success story of today’s electronics. By analogy, defect analysis plays a critical role in ...

We present an experimental and theoretical study which compares the phonon anomalies and the electronic gap features in the infrared response of the weakly coupled two-leg-ladders in Sr 14 − x Ca x Cu24O41 (SCCO) with those of the underdoped high-T c superconductor YBa2Cu3O 6 + x (YBCO) and thereby reveals some surprising analogies. Specifically, we present a phenomenological model that describes the anomalous doping- and temperature-dependence of some of the phonon features in the a-axis response (field along the rungs of the ladders) of SCCO. It assumes that the phonons are coupled to charge oscillations within the ladders. Their changes with decreasing temperature reveal the formation of a crystal (density wave) of hole pairs that are oriented along the rungs. We also discuss the analogy to a similar model that was previously used to explain the phonon anomalies and an electronic plasma mode in the c-axis response (field perpendicular to the CuO2 planes) of YBCO. We further confirm that an insulator-like pseudogap develops in the a-axis conductivity of SCCO which closely resembles that in the c-axis conductivity of YBCO. Most surprisingly, we find that the c-axis conductivity (field along the legs of the ladders) of SCCO is strikingly similar to the in-plane one (field parallel to the CuO2 planes) of YBCO. Notably, in both cases a dip feature develops in the normal state spectra that is connected with a spectral weight shift toward low frequencies and can thus be associated with precursor superconducting pairing correlations that are lacking macroscopic phase coherence. This SCCO–YBCO analogy indicates that collective degrees of freedom contribute to the low-energy response of underdoped high T c cuprates and it even suggests that the charges in the CuO2 planes tend to segregate forming quasi-one-dimensional structures similar to the two-leg ladders, as predicted for the stripe-scenario or certain intertwinned states.

We have grown La$_{0.3}$Sr$_{0.7}$CoO$_{3-δ}$ thin films by pulsed laser deposition on (LaAlO$_3$)$_{0.3}$(Sr$_2$TaAlO$_3$)$_{0.7}$ substrates with and without a protective LaAlO$_3$ capping layer and investigated their structural and magnetic properties. We have observed that, in the uncapped films, the Curie temperature strongly decreased after annealing in helium atmosphere, and it significantly decreased even in samples stored for several weeks at room temperature. The decrease of the Currie temperature is caused by an increase of the concentration of oxygen vacancies, δ. However, we show that already a 3 nm thin LaAlO$_3$ capping layer can essentially conserve δ at room temperature, and it considerably slows down the formation of oxygen vacancies at elevated temperatures.

We proposed and demonstrated a preparation method of (001) preferentially oriented stress-free AlN piezoelectric thin films. The AlN thin films were deposited by a reactive sputtering technique at substrate temperatures up to 330 °C using a dual Kaufman ion-beam source setup. We deposited the AlN on Si (100), Si (111), amorphous SiO2, and a (001) preferentially oriented Ti thin film and compared their crystallographic, optical, and piezoelectric properties. The AlN thin films deposited on the (001) preferentially oriented Ti thin films have the highest crystallographic quality. The stress-free AlN reached a high value of the piezoelectric coefficient d33 = (7.33 ± 0.08) pC·N−1. The properties of the AlN thin film prepared at such low temperatures are suitable for numerous microelectromechanical systems, piezoelectric sensors, and actuators monolithically integrated with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor signal-processing circuits.

We studied the infrared response of polycrystalline samples of the iron arsenide superconductor (Rb,Cs)Ca2Fe4As4F2 (Rb,Cs-12442), which has a bilayer structure similar to the high-Tc cuprates YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8. The c-axis reflectivity spectra Rc have been derived from the reflectivity spectra of the polycrystalline samples Rpoly and the in-plane spectrum of a corresponding Cs-12442 crystal Rab using a geometrical averaging approach with Rc=3Rpoly−2Rab. In analogy to the c-axis response of the cuprates, we observe a superconductivity- induced transverse plasma mode and a phonon anomaly that are both signatures of local electric field effects that arise from a large difference between the local conductivities in the intra- and interbilayer regions. Using a multilayer model developed for the cuprates, we obtain a good description of the c-axis response and derive the local conductivities at T≃Tc of σbl1(ω→0)≃1000Ω−1cm−1 and σint1(ω→0)≃15Ω−1cm−1, respectively, that are similar to the ones previously found in underdoped YBCO. Different from the cuprates, we find no evidence of a normal-state pseudogap in terms of a partial suppression of the low-energy electronic states that sets in already well above Tc. There is also no clear sign of an onset of precursor superconducting pairing correlations well above Tc≃ 30 K. This highlights that the pseudogap and the precursor superconducting pairing well above Tc are unique features of the cuprates with their strong electronic correlations and, for example, not just the result of a strongly anisotropic electronic response due to the layered crystal structure.

We studied the infrared response of polycrystalline samples of the iron arsenide superconductor $(\mathrm{Rb},\mathrm{Cs}){\mathrm{Ca}}_{2}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{4}{\mathrm{As}}_{4}{\mathrm{F}}_{2}$ (Rb,Cs-12442), which has a bilayer structure similar to the high-${T}_{c}$ cuprates ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ (YBCO) and ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8}$. The $c$-axis reflectivity spectra ${R}_{c}$ have been derived from the reflectivity spectra of the polycrystalline samples ${R}_{\mathrm{poly}}$ and the in-plane spectrum of a corresponding Cs-12442 crystal ${R}_{ab}$ using a geometrical averaging approach with ${R}_{c}=3{R}_{\mathrm{poly}}\ensuremath{-}2{R}_{ab}$. In analogy to the $c$-axis response of the cuprates, we observe a superconductivity-induced transverse plasma mode and a phonon anomaly that are both signatures of local electric field effects that arise from a large difference between the local conductivities in the intra- and interbilayer regions. Using a multilayer model developed for the cuprates, we obtain a good description of the $c$-axis response and derive the local conductivities at $T\ensuremath{\simeq}{T}_{c}$ of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}^{\mathrm{bl}}(\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)\ensuremath{\simeq}1000{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}^{\mathrm{int}}(\ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)\ensuremath{\simeq}15{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Omega}}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, respectively, that are similar to the ones previously found in underdoped YBCO. Different from the cuprates, we find no evidence of a normal-state pseudogap in terms of a partial suppression of the low-energy electronic states that sets in already well above ${T}_{c}$. There is also no clear sign of an onset of precursor superconducting pairing correlations well above ${T}_{c}\ensuremath{\simeq}$ 30 K. This highlights that the pseudogap and the precursor superconducting pairing well above ${T}_{c}$ are unique features of the cuprates with their strong electronic correlations and, for example, not just the result of a strongly anisotropic electronic response due to the layered crystal structure.

Here we report on Landau level spectroscopy in magnetic fields up to 34 T performed on a thin film of topological insulator Bi$_2$Te$_3$ epitaxially grown on a BaF$_2$ substrate. The observed response is consistent with the picture of a direct-gap semiconductor in which charge carriers closely resemble massive Dirac particles. The fundamental band gap reaches $E_g=(175\pm 5)$~meV at low temperatures and it is not located on the trigonal axis, thus displaying either six or twelvefold valley degeneracy. Notably, our magneto-optical data do not indicate any band inversion. This suggests that the fundamental band gap is relatively distant from the $\Gamma$ point where profound inversion exists andgives rise to relativistic-like surface states of Bi$_2$Te$_3$., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. B

We present the design and performance of a vacuum far-infrared (similar to 50-680 cm(-1)) ellipsometer witha rotating analyser. The system is based on a Fourier transform spectrometer, an in-house built ellipsometer chamber and a closed-cycle bolometer. The ellipsometer chamber is equipped with a computer controlled theta-2 theta goniometer for automated measurements at various angles of incidence. We compare our measurements on SrTiO3 crystal with the results acquired above 300 cm(-1) with a commercially available ellipsometer system. After the calibration of the angle of incidence and after taking into account the finite reflectivity of mirrors in the detector part we obtain a very good agreement between the data from the two instruments. The system can be supplemented with a closed-cycle He cryostat for measurements between 5 and 400 K. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Despite intensive investigations of Bi2Se3 in past few years, the size and nature of the bulk energy band gap of this well-known 3D topological insulator still remain unclear. Here we report on a combined magneto-transport, photoluminescence and infrared transmission study of Bi2Se3, which unambiguously shows that the energy band gap of this material is direct and reaches E g = (220 ± 5) meV at low temperatures.

We report on results of our analysis of the c-axis infrared conductivity, σc(ω), of bilayer LnBa2Cu3O7−δ (Ln=La, Nd, Y) and trilayer Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ high-Tc superconductors. The analysis employs the multilayer model involving the conductivity of the bilayer or trilayer unit, σbl(ω), and that of the spacing layers separating the latter units, σint(ω). For the YBa2Cu3O7−δ sample with concentration of holes p=0.09, our fitting of the data strongly suggests that at low temperatures, the conductivity σbl(ω) possesses a pronounced and narrow Drude peak. For samples with p≥0.115 however, the fitting indicates that σbl(ω) is, at low temperatures, dominated by a mode at a finite energy in the range from 30 to 60 meV. The properties of this resonance are in accord with those of a collective mode that appears in the spectra of σbl(ω) calculated using a microscopic gauge-invariant theory of σc(ω) by J. Chaloupka and coworkers [Phys. Rev. B 79, 184513 (2009)]. The frequency and spectral weight of the latter mode are determined by the magnitude of the splitting between the bonding and the antibonding band of the bilayer or trilayer unit. Our results, in conjunction with the microscopic theory, thus demonstrate that in moderately underdoped bilayer and trilayer high-Tc cuprates the bilayer (or trilayer) splitting is already developed. The observed doping dependence is consistent with results from angular resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

We report on results of our analysis of the c-axis infrared conductivity,sigma(c )(omega), of bilayer LnBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta) (Ln=La, Nd, Y) and trilayer Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta high-T-c superconductors. The analysis employs the multilayer model involving the conductivity of the bilayer or trilayer unit, sigma(bl) (omega), and that of the spacing layers separating the latter units, sigma(int) (omega). For the YBa2Cu3O7-delta sample with concentration of holes p = 0.09, our fitting of the data strongly suggests that at low temperatures, the conductivity sigma(bl)(omega) possesses a pronounced and narrow Drude peak. For samples with p >= 0.115 however, the fitting indicates that sigma(bl)(omega) is, at low temperatures, dominated by a mode at a finite energy in the range from 30 to 60 meV. The properties of this resonance are in accord with those of a collective mode that appears in the spectra of sigma(bl)(omega) calculated using a microscopic gauge-invariant theory of sigma(c)(omega) by J. Chaloupka and coworkers [Phys. Rev. B 79, 184513 (2009)]. The frequency and spectral weight of the latter mode are determined by the magnitude of the splitting between the bonding and the antibonding band of the bilayer or trilayer unit. Our results, in conjunction with the microscopic theory, thus demonstrate that in moderately underdoped bilayer and trilayer high-T-c cuprates the bilayer (or trilayer) splitting is already developed. The observed doping dependence is consistent with results from angular resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

With the technique of infrared ellipsometry we performed a detailed study of the temperature- and doping dependence of the c-axis response of a series of YBa₂Cu₃O7−δ single crystals. In particular, we explored the anomalous electronic properties at temperatures above the macroscopic superconducting transition temperature, T c, whose conflicting explanations range from a precursor superconducting state to electronic correlations that compete with superconductivity. We show that the c-axis spectra provide evidence that both kinds of correlations are present and that their contributions can be disentangled based on an analysis with a so-called multilayer-model. We find that the onset temperature, T *, and the energy scale, ΔPG, of the competing pseudogap increase rapidly towards the underdoped side whereas they vanish on the overdoped side. In addition, we provide evidence that in a strongly underdoped sample the precursor superconducting correlations develop below an onset temperature, T ons, that is considerably lower than T * but still much higher than T c.

We present results of our broadband ellipsometry measurements of the optical response of ferromagnetic La0.7Sr0.3CoO3. Our data show that the ferromagnetic transition is accompanied by a transfer of optical spectral weight from an absorption band centered at 1.5 eV to a narrow component of the Drude-like peak. The associated reduction of the intraband kinetic energy is significantly larger than k(B)T(c), confirming that the double exchange plays a major role in the ferromagnetism of doped cobaltites. In conjunction with results of recent theoretical studies, the temperature dependence of the Drude-like peak suggests that the double exchange is mediated by t(2g) orbitals.

We present results of our broadband ellipsometry measurements of the optical response of ferromagnetic La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$CoO$_3$. Our data show that the ferromagnetic transition is accompanied by a transfer of optical spectral weight from an absorption band centered at 1.5 eV to a narrow component of the Drude-like peak. The associated reduction of the intraband kinetic energy is significantly larger than $k_{\rm B}T_c$, confirming that the double exchange plays a major role in the ferromagnetism of doped cobaltites. In conjunction with results of recent theoretical studies, the temperature dependence of the Drude-like peak suggests that the double exchange is mediated by $t_{2g}$ orbitals., 8 pages, 11 Figures; corrected the wrong sign in Eq. 3

We have investigated the optical properties of thin films of topological insulators Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and their alloys Bi-2(Te1-x Se-x)(3) on BaF2 substrates by a combination of infrared ellipsometry and reflectivity in the energy range from 0.06 to 6.5 eV. For the onset of interband absorption in Bi2Se3, after the correction for the Burstein-Moss effect, we find the value of the direct band gap of 215 +/- 10 meV at 10 K. Our data support the picture that Bi2Se3 has a direct band gap located at the Gamma point in the Brillouin zone and that the valence band reaches up to the Dirac point and has the shape of a downward-oriented paraboloid, i.e., without a camel-back structure. In Bi2Te3, the onset of strong direct interband absorption at 10 K is at a similar energy of about 200 meV, with a weaker additional feature at about 170 meV. Our data support the recent GW band-structure calculations suggesting that the direct interband transition does not occur at the Gamma point but near the Z-F line of the Brillouin zone. In the Bi-2(Te1-x Se-x)(3) alloy, the energy of the onset of direct interband transitions exhibits a maximum near x = 0.3 (i.e., the composition of Bi2Te2Se), suggesting that the crossover of the direct interband transitions between the two points in the Brillouin zone occurs close to this composition.

With infrared (IR) ellipsometry and dc resistance measurements, we investigated the photodoping at the (001) and (110) surfaces of SrTiO3 (STO) single crystals and at the corresponding interfaces of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) heterostructures. In the bare STO crystals, we find that the photogenerated charge carriers, which accumulate near the (001) surface, have a similar depth profile and sheet carrier concentration as the confined electrons that were previously observed in LAO/STO (001) heterostructures. A large fraction of these photogenerated charge carriers persist at low temperature at the STO (001) surface even after the ultraviolet light has been switched off again. These persistent charge carriers seem to originate from oxygen vacancies that are trapped at the structural domain boundaries, which develop below the so-called antiferrodistortive transition at T∗=105K. This is most evident from a corresponding photodoping study of the dc transport in STO (110) crystals for which the concentration of these domain boundaries can be modified by applying a weak uniaxial stress. The oxygen vacancies and their trapping by defects are also the source of the electrons that are confined to the interface of LAO/STO (110) heterostructures, which likely do not have a polar discontinuity as in LAO/STO (001). In the former, the trapping and clustering of the oxygen vacancies also has a strong influence on the anisotropy of the charge carrier mobility. We show that this anisotropy can be readily varied and even inverted by various means, such as a gentle thermal treatment, UV irradiation, or even a weak uniaxial stress. Our experiments suggest that extended defects, which develop over long time periods (of weeks to months), can strongly influence the response of the confined charge carriers at the LAO/STO (110) interface.

The work at the University of Fribourg was supported by the Schweizerische Nationalfonds (SNF) through Grant No. 200020-153660. B.P.P.M. wishes to acknowledge support from the Marsden Fund of New Zealand. The work at MUNI was financially supported by the Ministry of education youth and sports of the Czech Republic, under the project CEITEC 2020 (LQ1601). M.S., F.S., and G.H. acknowledge the support by the Spanish Government through Project No. MAT2014-56063-C2-1-R, the Severo Ochoa Grant No. SEV-2015-0496, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (Project No. 2014SGR 734). J. Mannhart is acknowledged for providing the LAO/STO (001) sample and J. Foncuberta for scientific discussion.

2-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON-GAS; STRONTIUM-TITANATE; PERSISTENT PHOTOCONDUCTIVITY; DOMAIN-STRUCTURE; MOBILITY; TEMPERATURE; TRANSITION; FILMS; GAMMA-AL2O3/SRTIO3; FERROELECTRICITY, The work at the University of Fribourg was supported by the Schweizerische Nationalfonds (SNF) through Grant No. 200020-153660. B.P.P.M. wishes to acknowledge support from the Marsden Fund of New Zealand. The work at MUNI was financially supported by the Ministry of education youth and sports of the Czech Republic, under the project CEITEC 2020 (LQ1601). M.S., F.S., and G.H. acknowledge the support by the Spanish Government through Project No. MAT2014-56063-C2-1-R, the Severo Ochoa Grant No. SEV-2015-0496, and the Generalitat de Catalunya (Project No. 2014SGR 734). J. Mannhart is acknowledged for providing the LAO/STO (001) sample and J. Foncuberta for scientific discussion.

We have investigated the optical properties of thin films of topological insulators Bi2Te3, Bi2Se3, and their alloys Bi-2(Te1-x Se-x)(3) on BaF2 substrates by a combination of infrared ellipsometry and reflectivity in the energy range from 0.06 to 6.5 eV. For the onset of interband absorption in Bi2Se3, after the correction for the Burstein-Moss effect, we find the value of the direct band gap of 215 +/- 10 meV at 10 K. Our data support the picture that Bi2Se3 has a direct band gap located at the Gamma point in the Brillouin zone and that the valence band reaches up to the Dirac point and has the shape of a downward-oriented paraboloid, i.e., without a camel-back structure. In Bi2Te3, the onset of strong direct interband absorption at 10 K is at a similar energy of about 200 meV, with a weaker additional feature at about 170 meV. Our data support the recent GW band-structure calculations suggesting that the direct interband transition does not occur at the Gamma point but near the Z-F line of the Brillouin zone. In the Bi-2(Te1-x Se-x)(3) alloy, the energy of the onset of direct interband transitions exhibits a maximum near x = 0.3 (i.e., the composition of Bi2Te2Se), suggesting that the crossover of the direct interband transitions between the two points in the Brillouin zone occurs close to this composition.