Oxygen isotope effect on superconductivity and magnetism in Y_1-xPr_xBa_2Cu_3O_7-\delta

TL;DR

This study investigates how oxygen isotope substitution affects superconductivity and magnetic order in Y_1-xPr_xBa_2Cu_3O_7-elta, revealing isotope effects linked to charge carrier mobility across different Pr concentrations.

Contribution

It provides new insights into isotope effects on magnetic and superconducting transitions in a Pr-doped cuprate, highlighting the role of charge carrier kinetic energy.

Findings

OIE on T_c peaks at xrom 0.55 to disappearance

OIE on T_N and T_g increase with decreasing x

OIEs have opposite signs for T_c and magnetic transitions

Abstract

Oxygen isotope (^{16}O/^{18}O) effects (OIE's) on the superconducting transition (T_c), the spin-glass ordering (T_g), and the antiferromagnetic ordering (T_N) temperatures were studied for Y_1-xPr_xBa_2Cu_3O_7-\delta as a function of Pr content (0.0\leq x \leq 1.0). The OIE on T_c increases with increasing x up to x\approx0.55, where superconductivity disappears. For decreasing x the OIE's on T_N and T_g increase down to x\approx 0.7 where antiferromagnetic order and down to x\approx0.3 where spin-glass behavior vanish, respectively. The OIE's on T_g and T_N are found to have {\it opposite signs} as compared to the OIE on T_c. All OIE's are suggested to arise from the isotope dependent mobility (kinetic energy) of the charge carriers.