On the occurrence of Kosterlitz-Thouless behavior in cuprate superconductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates the conditions under which Kosterlitz-Thouless behavior appears in cuprate superconductors, emphasizing the importance of two-dimensional limits and addressing experimental inconsistencies.

Contribution

It highlights the necessity of achieving a true two-dimensional regime and identifies inhomogeneities and doping as key factors affecting KT behavior observation.

Findings

KT behavior requires diverging correlation-length anisotropy

Inhomogeneities hinder KT behavior detection

Doping influences the manifestation of KT phenomena

Abstract

The observation of the characteristic Kosterlitz-Thouless behavior requires the attaintment of the two dimensional limit where the correlation-length anisotropy, gamma=gsiab/gsic, diverges. Our findings strongly suggest that the failure of several experiments on films and single crystals to observe any trace of KT-behavior is attributable either to inhomogeneities or doping by means of chemical substitution.