Layered-specific hole concentrations in Bi2Sr2(Y1-xCax)Cu2O8+d as probed by XANES spectroscopy and coulometric redox analysis

TL;DR

This study uses XANES spectroscopy and coulometric redox analysis to quantify hole concentrations in different layers of Bi2Sr2(Y1-xCax)Cu2O8+d, revealing how Ca substitution affects superconductivity-related charge distribution.

Contribution

It provides the first combined spectroscopic and electrochemical analysis of layer-specific hole concentrations in this superconductor, clarifying their relation to superconductivity.

Findings

Hole concentration in CuO2 planes increases with Ca substitution.

Superconductivity appears at a CuO2-plane hole concentration of 0.06.

Maximum Tc occurs at a hole concentration of 0.12.

Abstract

Induction of holes not only in the superconductive CuO2 plane but also in the Bi2O2+d charge reservoir of the Bi2Sr2(Y1-xCax)Cu2O8+d superconductor upon CaII-for-YIII substitution is evidenced by means of two independent techniques, i.e., high-resolution x-ray-absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy measurements and coulometric redox titrations. The absolute values derived for the CuO2-plane hole concentration from the Cu L2,3-edge XANES spectra are in good agreement with those obtained from the coulometric redox analysis. The CuO2-plane hole concentration is found to increase from 0.03 to 0.14 concomitantly with the increase in the BiO1+d/2-layer hole concentration from 0.00 to 0.13 as the Ca-substitution level, x, increases from 0 to 1. The threshold CuO2-plane hole concentration for the appearance of superconductivity is determined at 0.06, while the highest Tc is obtained at the hole concentration of 0.12. In the O K-edge XANES spectrum, the increases in the CuO2-plane and BiO1+d/2-layer hole concentrations with increasing x are seen as enhancement in the relative intensities of the pre-edge peaks at ~528.3 and \~530.5 eV, respectively.