Superconductor to Mott insulator transition in YBa2Cu3O7/LaCaMnO3 heterostructures
B A Gray1, S Middey1, G Conti2,3
1Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 70701, USA.
Scientific Reports
|September 16, 2016
Summary
Researchers explored the superconductor-to-insulator transition (SIT) using thin YBCO/LCMO superlattices. They observed a Mott insulating state due to interfacial charge transfer, controlled by LCMO thickness.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Quantum Phase Transitions
Background:
- Superconductor-to-insulator transitions (SIT) are quantum phenomena affecting superconducting properties.
- Interfacial charge transfer offers a novel route to induce SIT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To realize and investigate the SIT in YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO)/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) superlattices via interfacial charge transfer.
- To understand the role of interfacial carrier doping on the electronic states.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of extremely thin YBCO/LCMO superlattices.
- Utilized X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD).
- Employed hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES).
Main Results:
- Achieved interfacial carrier doping in cuprate and manganite layers.
- Observed a transition from superconducting to a Mott insulating state with increasing LCMO thickness.
- Identified charge compensation by rare-earth and alkaline-earth metal ions, not just transition metals.
Conclusions:
- Demonstrated deterministic control of the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) via electronic doping.
- Highlighted a new method for studying disorder effects in cuprates without chemical substitution.
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