Scanning Josephson Tunneling Microscopy of Single Crystal Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ with a Conventional Superconducting Tip

Authors

Richard P. Barber Jr., Santa Clara UniversityFollow
Hikari Kimura
Shuhei Ono
Yoichi Ando
Robert C. Dynes

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-18-2008

Publisher

American Physical Society

Abstract

We have performed both Josephson and quasiparticle tunneling in vacuum tunnel junctions formed between a conventional superconducting scanning tunneling microscope tip and overdoped Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ single crystals. A Josephson current is observed with a peak centered at a small finite voltage due to the thermal-fluctuation-dominated superconducting phase dynamics. Josephson measurements at different surface locations yield local values for the Josephson IcRn product. Corresponding energy gap measurements were also performed and a surprising inverse correlation was observed between the local IcRn product and the local energy gap.

Recommended Citation

Hikari Kimura, R. P. Barber, Jr., S. Ono, Yoichi Ando and R. C. Dynes, "Scanning Josephson Tunneling Microscopy of Single Crystal Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ with a Conventional Superconducting Tip," Physical Review Letters, 101, 037002 (2008).