Low-energy excitations in Cu-O–based superconductors with electron-energy-loss spectroscopy

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Abstract
We have investigated the ability of high-resolution electron-energy-loss spectroscopy to contribute to the understanding of the Cu-O superconductors. Our results do not show temperature dependence attributable to the superconducting transition, perhaps in part due to high surface sensitivity. A strong loss feature at 50 meV appears to be due to phonon modes, involving oxygen in the Cu-O planes, that have a strong dipole moment.