ab-plane optical spectra of iodine-intercalated Bi1.9Pb0.1Sr2CaCu2O8+delta: Normal and superconducting properties

We report on the ab-plane optical reflectance of an iodine-intercalated Bi1.9Pb0.1Sr2CaCu2O8+delta single crystal in the 80-40000 cm(-1) (10 meV-5 eV) frequency range and at temperatures between 10 and 300 K. As compared to the iodine-free Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta, we find that the visible-ultraviolet interband transitions are strongly modified after intercalation. Estimates of the low-frequency spectral weight indicate that then is an increase of hole concentration in the CuO2 planes. This behavior is a consequence of charge transfer between intercalated iodine atoms and the CuO2 sheets leading to an ionized iodine species. The nb-plane optical conductivity is analyzed in both the one-component and the two-component pictures, suggesting that the intercalated iodine does not have any significant effect on the in-plane scattering rate. In the superconducting state, a sum-rule evaluation finds that the superfluid contains about 25% of the total doping-induced, or nearly 86% of the free-carrier oscillator strength in the normal state. The value of the superconducting penetration depth is estimated to be 1980 Angstrom, slightly larger than the 1860 Angstrom found in iodine-free Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+delta. [S0163-1829(99)01313-2].