c-axis lattice dynamics in Bi-based cuprate superconductors -: art. no. 054511

We present the results of a systematic study of the c-axis lattice dynamics in single-layer Bi2Sr2CuO6 (Bi2201), bilayer Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 (Bi2212), and trilayer Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10 (Bi2223) cuprate superconductors. Our study is based on both experimental data obtained by spectral ellipsometry on single crystals and theoretical calculations. The calculations are carried out within the framework of a classical shell model, which includes long-range Coulomb interactions and short-range interactions of the Buckingham form in a system of polarizable ions. Using the same set of shell model parameters for Bi2201, Bi2212, and Bi2223, we calculate the frequencies of the Brillouin-zone center phonon modes of A(2u) symmetry and suggest the phonon mode eigenvector patterns. We achieve good agreement between the calculated A(2u) eigenfrequencies and the experimental values of the c-axis TO phonon frequencies which allows us to make a reliable phonon mode assignment for all three Bi-based cuprate superconductors. We also present the results of our shell model calculations for the Gamma-point A(1g) symmetry modes in Bi2201, Bi2212, and Bi2223 and suggest an assignment that is based on published experimental Raman spectra. The superconductivity-induced phonon anomalies recently observed in the c-axis infrared and resonant Raman scattering spectra in trilayer Bi2223 are consistently explained with the suggested assignment.