Temperature dependence of the bulk energy gap in underdoped Bi-2212: Evidence for the mean-field superconducting transition

Abstract

Understanding of the puzzling phenomenon of high temperature superconductivity requires reliable spectroscopic information about temperature dependence of the bulk electronic density of states. Here I present a comprehensive analysis of $T-$evolution of bulk electronic spectra in Bi-2212 obtained by Intrinsic Tunneling Spectroscopy on small mesa structures. Unambiguous spectroscopic information is obtained by obviation of self-heating problem and by improving the spectroscopic resolution. The obtained data indicate that the superconducting transition maintains the mean-field character down to moderate underdoping, and is associated with an abrupt opening of the superconducting gap, which is well described by the conventional BCS $T-$dependence. The mean-field critical temperature reaches maximum at the optimal doping and decreases with underdoping. Such behavior is inconsistent with theories assuming intimate connection between superconducting and antiferromagnetic spin gaps, and support proposals associating high temperature superconductivity with the presence of competing ground states and a quantum critical point near optimal doping.

arXiv comment17 pages, 16 figures

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• Nonlinear nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation in Josephson junctions
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• Observation of superluminal geometrical resonances in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x intrinsic Josephson junctions
• Stabilization of in-phase fluxon state by geometrical confinement in small Bi-2212 mesa structures
• High Temperature Superconductivity: the explanation
• Disparity of superconducting and pseudogap scales in low-Tc Bi-2201 cuprates
• Observation of polaritons in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x single crystals
• Superconducting Gap, Normal State Pseudogap and Tunnelling Spectra of Bosonic and Cuprate Superconductors
• Comparative analysis of tunneling magnetoresistance in low-$T_c$ Nb/AlAlOx/Nb and high-$T_c$ Bi${}_{2-y}$Pb${}_y$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_{8+\delta }$ intrinsic Josephson junctions
• Design aspects of Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_{8+\delta }$ THz sources: optimization of thermal and radiative properties
• Charge density waves as the origin of dip-hump structures in differential tunneling conductance of cuprates: the case of $d$-wave superconductivity
• Low anisotropy of the upper critical field in a strongly anisotropic layered cuprate: Evidence for paramagnetically limited superconductivity
• Persistent electrical doping of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x mesa structures
• Superconducting condensate residing on small Fermi pockets in underdoped cuprates
• Diamagnetism of real-space pairs above Tc in hole doped cuprates
• Comment on Counterintuitive consequence of heating in strongly driven intrinsic junctions of Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$CaCu${}_2$O${}_{8+\delta }$ mesas
• Theory of Extrinsic and Intrinsic Tunnelling in Cuprate Superconductors
• Quantum mechanical picture of the coupling between interlayer electronic excitations and infrared active phonons in bilayer cuprate superconductors
• Strong polaritonic interaction between flux-flow and phonon resonances in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x intrinsic Josephson junctions: Angular dependence and the alignment procedure
• Observation of a subharmonic gap singularity in interlayer tunneling characteristics of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d
• Cascade switching current detectors based on arrays of Josephson junctions
• Two component spin-fermion model for high-$T_c$ cuprates: Applications to neutron scattering and ARPES experiments
• Tunneling spectra of unconventional quasi-two-dimensional superconductors