Pseudogap in the underdoped high-temperature superconductor HoBa2Cu4O8: a neutron crystal-field study of the oxygen isotope effect

Authors
Temprano, DR Mesot, J Janssen, S Furrer, A Conder, K Mutka, H Muller, KA
Citation
Dr. Temprano et al., Pseudogap in the underdoped high-temperature superconductor HoBa2Cu4O8: a neutron crystal-field study of the oxygen isotope effect, PHYSICA C, 341, 2000, pp. 905-906
Citations number
4
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
PHYSICA C
ISSN journal
09214534 → ACNP
Volume
341
Year of publication
2000
Part
2
Pages
905 - 906
Database
ISI
SICI code
0921-4534(200011)341:<905:PITUHS>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
The oxygen isotope effect on the relaxation rate of crystal-field excitatio ns in the slightly underdoped high-temperature superconductor HoBa2Cu4O8 (T -c=79 K) has been investigated hy means of inelastic neutron scattering. Wh en going from O-16 to O-18 the pseudogap temperature T* is shifted from 170 to 220 K, whereas the critical temperature remains almost unaffected. This huge isotope shift observed for T* which is absent in NMR and NQR experime nts suggests that the mechanism leading to an isotope effect on the pseudog ap has to involve a time scale in the range 10(-8) s >> tau > 10(-13) s.