Single superconducting energy scale in electron-doped cuprate superconductor Pr_2-xCexCuO_4

TL;DR

This study reveals that the superconducting gap in electron-doped cuprate Pr_2-xCe_xCuO_4 follows a BCS-like temperature dependence and correlates with Tc, indicating a single energy scale governs superconductivity in these materials.

Contribution

It demonstrates for the first time that the superconducting gap in electron-doped cuprates exhibits BCS-like behavior and aligns with Tc, suggesting a unified energy scale.

Findings

Superconducting gap follows BCS-like temperature dependence.

Gap correlates with critical temperature Tc.

Evidence for a single energy scale in electron-doped cuprates.

Abstract

The tunneling spectra of the electron-doped cuprate Pr_2-xCe_xCuO4 as a function of doping and temperature is reported. We find that the superconducting gap, delta, shows a BCS-like temperature dependence even for extremely low carrier concentrations (studied here for the first time). Moreover, delta follows the doping dependence of Tc, in strong contrast with tunneling studies of hole-doped cuprates. From our results we conclude that there is a single superconducting energy scale in the electron-doped cuprates.