XAS study of (BaCuO2)(2)/(CaCuO2)(n) superlattices

EXAFS (Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) and XANES (X-Ray Absorption Near Edge Structure) spectroscopies have been used to probe the local bonding of the artificially layered superconducting (BaCuO2)(2)/(CaCuO2)(n) (n = 2,3,4) superlattices. Fluorescence-yield measurements have been performed above the Cu and Ba K-edges. This study shows that the charge reservoir (CR) block of the Ba/Ca superlattice contains oxygen vacancies randomly distributed in the CuO2 planes and that the two apical oxygen atoms are displaced out of the Ba plane giving rise to buckled BaO planes. These oxygen atoms have a distorted pyramidal and octahedral coordination around Cu at Ba/Ca interface and in the (BaCuO2) block,