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Crystal growth and characterization of the model high-temperature superconductor HgBa2CuO4+δ

Understanding the properties of the mercury-based high-temperature superconductors HgBa2Ca(n-1)Cu(n)O(2n+2+d), the compounds with the highest superconducting transition temperatures (Tc), is one of the major goals in the field of correlated electron materials. Unfortunately, experimental studies have been very limited due to the lack of sizeable single crystals. Single-layer (n=1) (n-1)Cu(n)O(2n+2+d) is of particular interest due to the simplicity of its crystal structure. Employing a significantly improved melt-growth method, we have succeeded in obtaining unprecedentedly large Hg1201 single crystals, exceeding previous crystal sizes by more than two orders of magnitude. The crystals were characterized via ICP-MS, magnetic susceptibility, X-ray and neutron diffraction, and they exhibit an onset Tc of 97 K at optimal doping. The availability of sizable Hg1201 crystals has enabled the first search for magnetic excitations in Hg1201 using inelastic neutron scattering. Importantly, it provides new opportunities for comparative studies directed at the separation of materials-specific properties from those that are essential to high-Tc superconductivity.

high-Tc superconductivity; HgBa2Ca(n-1)Cu(n)O(2n+2+d);

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