Percolative Superconductivity in Electron-Doped Sr$_{1-x}$Eu$_{x}$CuO$_{2+y}$ Films

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that superconductivity in electron-doped Sr$_{1-x}$Eu$_{x}$CuO$_{2+y}$ films arises through a three-dimensional percolation process, with phase separation and oxygen defects influencing the superconducting properties.

Contribution

It provides direct spectroscopic evidence of electronic phase separation and visualizes oxygen defect impacts, revealing a percolative mechanism for superconductivity in these films.

Findings

Superconductivity peaks at doping level x ~ 0.15.

Resistivity upturn follows square-root temperature dependence.

Oxygen defects correlate with changes in superconductivity.

Abstract

Electron-doped infinite-layer Sr$_{1-x}$Eu$_{x}$CuO$_{2+y}$ films over a wide doping range have been prepared epitaxially on SrTiO$_3$(001) using reactive molecular beam epitaxy. In-plane transport measurements of the single crystalline samples reveal a dome-shaped nodeless superconducting phase centered at $x$ $\sim$ 0.15, a Fermi-liquid behavior and pronounced upturn in low temperature resistivity. We show that the resistivity upturn follows square-root temperature dependence, suggesting the emergence of superconductivity via a three-dimensional percolation process. The percolative superconductivity is corroborated spectroscopically by imaging the electronic phase separation between superconducting and metallic phases with low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy. Furthermore, we visualize interstitial and apical oxygen anions that rapidly increase in number as $x>$ 0.12, and elucidate their impacts on the superconductivity and normal-state resistivity.