Dependence of the superconducting critical temperature on the number of layers in homologous series of high-Tc cuprates

TL;DR

This study models the dependence of the superconducting critical temperature on the number of Cu-O layers in high-Tc cuprates using an anisotropic XY model, revealing how c-axis anisotropy and charge imbalance influence Tc(n).

Contribution

It introduces an exact solution of a layered XY model that accounts for inhomogeneous charge distribution and extends beyond the Lawrence-Doniach model for layered superconductors.

Findings

Calculated Tc(n) for arbitrary layer number n.

Demonstrated the influence of c-axis anisotropy on Tc.

Predicted charge imbalance distribution consistent with NMR data.

Abstract

We study a model of $n$-layer high-temperature cuprates of homologous series like HgBa_2Ca_(n-1)Cu_nO_(2+2n+\delta) to explain the dependence of the critical temperature Tc(n) on the number $n$ of Cu-O planes in the elementary cell. Focusing on the description of the high-temperature superconducting system in terms of the collective phase variables, we have considered a semi-microscopic anisotropic three-dimensional vector XY model of stacked copper-oxide layers with adjustable parameters representing microscopic in-plane and out-of-plane phase stiffnesses. The model captures the layered composition along c-axis of homologous series and goes beyond the phenomenological Lawrence-Doniach model for layered superconductors. Implementing the spherical closure relation for vector variables we have solved the phase XY model exactly with the help of transfer matrix method and calculated Tc(n) for arbitrary block size $n$, elucidating the role of the c-axis anisotropy and its influence on the critical temperature. Furthermore, we accommodate inhomogeneous charge distribution among planes characterized by the charge imbalance coefficient $R$ being the function of number of layers $n$. By making a physically justified assumption regarding the doping dependence of the microscopic phase stiffnesses, we have calculated the values of parameter $R$ as a function of block size $n$ in good agreement with the nuclear magnetic resonance data of carrier distribution in multilayered high-Tc cuprates.