Core-level photoemission spectra of Mo0.3Cu0.7Sr2ErCu2Oy, a superconducting perovskite derivative. Unconventional structure–property relationships
Résumé
Detailed studies of the electronic states for Mo0.3Cu0.7Sr2ErCu2Oy samples with different oxygen contents are presented here. The influence of oxygenation on the electronic states for the Mo0.3Cu0.7Sr2ErCu2Oy system from the semiconducting to the superconducting state has been investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS studies show that Mo is in a mixed MoV and MoVI oxidation state and MoV is predominant over the MoVI in the as-prepared (AP) sample. Yet annealing under an oxygen atmosphere enhances the MoVI state. At the same time, a reduction in the copper species is observed. In the Cu 2p spectra, a larger energy separation between the satellite and main peaks (ES–EM) and a lower intensity ratio (IS/IM) are found to correlate with higher values of the superconducting transition temperature (TC). Analysis of these spectra within the Configuration Interaction (CI) model suggests that higher values of TC are related to lower values of the O 2p–Cu 3d charge transfer energy. The change in the Sr 3d and O 1s core level spectra correlates with the oxygen insertion in the (Mo/Cu)O1+δ chain site, after oxygenation. The hole concentration (Ph) in the copper plane has been obtained using the room temperature thermoelectric power (TEP) value; this shows an increasing tendency with increasing TC, after oxygenation. From these experimental results, one observes that TCincreases with decreasing charge transfer energy. This is, indeed, opposite to the accepted views and occurs in parallel with the shortening of the apical copper–oxygen distance (Cu2–O2) and the increasing of the CuO2 plane buckling angle.