Superconducting gap and pseudogap from tunneling conductance on Bi2Sr2CaCu2Og+δ with various oxygen concentration

Abstract

The evolution of tunneling spectra on Bi2Sr2CaCu2Og+δ measured by SIN point contacts, SIS break junctions and STM/STS has been studied as a function of doping and temperature. The detailed examinations of the spectra show that the energy gap measured at low temperature appear to be due to superconducting pairing. The doping dependence of the superconducting gap at low temperature suggests a strong connection to the pseudogap temperature, T*, and this indicates that the pseudogap region is at least partly a consequence of some form of precursor superconductivity. In addition, dip/hump structures observed at high bias scale approximately with not only Δ but also superexchange interaction J over the entire doping range examined, indicating these features are linked to the underlying interaction responsible for superconductivity. We suggest that the hump structure may originate from short-range magnetic correlations. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V All rights reserved.