Visualization of spatial inhomogeneity in the superconducting gap using micro-ARPES.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Superconductivity

Background:

• Electronic inhomogeneity is common in strongly correlated electron systems due to competing phases.
• Gap inhomogeneity in high-temperature cuprate superconductors is well-documented via scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy.
• Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) has been limited in evaluating this inhomogeneity due to resolution constraints.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spatial dependence of electronic states in optimally-doped Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ using high-resolution ARPES.
• To spatially map the superconducting gap and single-particle scattering rate at the micro-scale.
• To statistically evaluate the correlations between these physical parameters.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-resolution spatially-resolved ARPES with a micrometric beam (micro-ARPES).
• Performed detailed spectral lineshape analysis on the spatial mapping dataset.
• Employed statistical evaluation of physical parameters and their correlations.

Main Results:

• Revealed the spatial inhomogeneity of the superconducting gap at the micro-scale.
• Identified spatial variations in the single-particle scattering rate.
• Established correlations between the superconducting gap and scattering rate inhomogeneity.

Conclusions:

• High-resolution spatially-resolved ARPES (micro-ARPES) is effective for probing micro-scale electronic inhomogeneity in cuprate superconductors.
• This technique enables a data-driven approach to understanding complex material properties.
• The findings provide key parameters for formulating physical properties of superconducting materials.