The anomaly of the oxygen bond-bending mode at 320 cm$^{-1}$ and the additional absorption peak in the c-axis infrared conductivity of underdoped YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$ single crystals revisited by ellipsometricmeasurements

TL;DR

This study uses ellipsometry to analyze temperature-dependent phonon and electronic features in underdoped YBa2Cu3O7−δ, revealing sharp changes at T_c and spectral weight redistribution, supporting a Josephson-junction model.

Contribution

It provides detailed ellipsometric insights into phonon anomalies and electronic absorption peaks in underdoped YBa2Cu3O7−δ, clarifying their relation to T_c and electronic structure.

Findings

Phonon anomaly and absorption peak onset occur at T_c or above.

Spectral weight of the absorption peak partly from electronic continuum redistribution.

Data supports a superlattice Josephson-junction model for bilayer cuprates.

Abstract

We have performed ellipsometric measurements of the far-infrared c-axis dielectric response of underdoped YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$ single crystals. Here we report a detailed analysis of the temperature-dependent renormalization of the oxygen bending phonon mode at 320 cm$^{-1}$ and the formation of the additional absorption peak around 400-500 cm$^{-1}$. For a strongly underdoped YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6.5}$ crystal with T$_{c}$=52 K we find that, in agreement with previous reports based on conventional reflection measurements, the gradual onset of both features occurs well above T$_{c}$ at T*$\sim $150 K. Contrary to some of these reports, however, our data establish that the phonon anomaly and the formation of the additional peak exhibit very pronounced and steep changes right at T$_{c}$. For a less underdoped YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{6.75}$ crystal with T$_{c}$=80 K, the onset temperature of the phonon anomaly almost coincides with T$_{c}$. Also in contrast to some previous reports, we find for both crystals that a sizeable fraction of the spectral weight of the additional absorption peak cannot be accounted for by the spectral-weight loss of the phonon modes but instead arises from a redistribution of the electronic continuum. Our ellipsometric data are consistent with a model where the bilayer cuprate compounds are treated as a superlattice of intra- and inter-bilayer Josephson-junctions.