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Science 19 February 1988:
Vol. 239. no. 4842, pp. 899 - 902
DOI: 10.1126/science.239.4842.899
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Articles

The Magnon Pairing Mechanism of Superconductivity in Cuprate Ceramics

GUANHUA CHEN 1 and WILLIAM A. GODDARD III 1

1 Arthur Amos Noyes Laboratory of Chemical Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125.

The magnon pairing mechanism is derived to explain the high-temperature superconductivity of both the La2-xSrxCu1O4 and Y1Ba2Cu3O7 systems. Critical features include (i) a one- or two-dimensional lattice of linear Cu-O-Cu bonds that contribute to large antiferromagnetic (superexchange) coupling of the CuII(d9) orbitals; (ii) holes in the oxygen ppgr bands [rather than CuIII(d8)] leading to high mobility hole conduction; and (iii) strong ferromagnetic coupling between oxygen ppgr holes and adjacent CuII(d9) electrons. The ferromagnetic coupling of the conduction electrons with copper d spins induces the attractive interaction responsible for the superconductivity, leading to triplet-coupled pairs called "tripgems." The disordered Heisenberg lattice of antiferromagnetically coupled copper d spins serves a role analogous to the phonons in a conventional system. This leads to a maximum transition temperature of about 200 K. For La1.85Sr0.15Cu1O4, the energy gap is in excellent agreement with experiment. For Y1Ba2Cu3O7, we find that both the CuO sheets and the CuO chains can contribute to the supercurrent.

Submitted on December 7, 1987
Accepted on January 20, 1988


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Experimental Constraints on Theories of High-Transition Temperature Superconductors.
W. A. Little (1988)
Science 242, 1390-1395
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A Testable Theory of Superconductivity: New calculations from a theory based on magnetic interactions predict superconductors will never reach room temperature.
R. Pool (1988)
Science 242, 31
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The Incommensurate Modulation of the 2212 Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O Superconductor.
Y. GAO, P. LEE, P. COPPENS, M. A. SUBRAMANIA, and A. W. SLEIGHT (1988)
Science 241, 954-956
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Electronic Structure and Valence-Bond Band Structure of Cuprate Superconducting Materials.
Y. GUO, J.-M. LANGLOIS, and W. A. GODDARD III (1988)
Science 239, 896-899
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