Spectroscopic signatures of defect-induced pair breaking in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x
We investigated the effect of disorder on the spectral properties of the high temperature superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x. We find that small defect densities, in the low 10(-3) range, already suppress the characteristic spectral signature of the superconducting state, while new excitations appear within the gap. We conclude that, due to defect-induced pair breaking, superconducting pairs and normal carriers coexist below T-c. At higher levels of disorder the normal state is also strongly affected, and the quasiparticle features progressively smeared out.
WOS:000079646200032
1999
82
15
3128
3131
Ecole Polytech Fed Lausanne, Inst Phys Appl, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Univ Wisconsin, Dept Phys, Madison, WI 53706 USA. Ecole Polytech, CEA, Solides Irradies Lab, F-91128 Palaiseau, France. Ecole Polytech Fed Lausanne, Inst Genie Atom, Lab Phys Solides Semicristallins, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Vobornik, I, Ecole Polytech Fed Lausanne, Inst Phys Appl, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. Ivana.Vobornik@epfl.ch
ISI Document Delivery No.: 185AP
REVIEWED