0000000000873099
AUTHOR
E. Sherman
Charge transfer in high-Tc(Y/Pr)Ba2Cu3O7superlattices
We comment on the charge-transfer model for the unique softening of the apex [O(4)] oxygen observed in Raman spectra of a- and c-oriented (${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$${)}_{\mathit{m}}$(${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$${)}_{\mathit{n}}$ superlattices presented in a recent paper by Ham et al. [Phys. Rev. B 50, 16 598 (1994)]. We find the size of the charge transfer necessary for the observed shift too large to explain the observations. In addition, a conclusion about the unique behavior of both types of superlattices can only be drawn if the sample quality is properly considered. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Landau damping in high-temperature superconductors
We investigate the decay of a phonon into single-electron excitations in the cuprate superconductors. In a clean crystal the screening of the longitudinal phonon field cancels singularity of the Landau damping threshold and makes it experimentally unobservable. In a dirty metal the phase volume of the electrons involved in damping is small, which reduces the probability of the phonon decay. However, in this case the observation of dependence between the phonon linewidth and light penetration depth is more favorable than in the clean metal because the damping has no threshold.
An interface effect in c-oriented (Y/Pr)Ba2Cu3O7 Superlattices: Raman scattering by ‘Forbidden’ phonons
Abstract Raman results of ultrathin layer high Tc superlattices ( Y m Pr 1 )Ba2Cu3O7 (m = 2, 3, 4) exhibit a common feature: new peaks, absent in the bulk compounds. These peaks are attributed to oxygen B1u symmetry modes confined in the YBa2Cu3O7 layers. To explain their Raman activity a mechanism based on the asymmetry of crystal field at Y-Pr layer interfaces is proposed.