Low-energy electronic state of the structural modulation-free image studied by the scanning tunneling microscopy Original Research Article

We report scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies on the structural modulation-free Bi2Sr2CuO6+δBi2Sr2CuO6+δ in which Bi atoms are partially substituted by Pb atoms. Optimally doped sample with the superconducting transition temperature View the MathML sourceTc=22K shows short atom-strings at a bias-voltage of 5 mV. Some strings are bundled and aligned along the orthogonal oriented two Cu–O–Cu directions randomly. Atom-strings are also observed in the overdoped sample View the MathML source(Tc=7K), while they are hardly seen in the heavily overdoped sample View the MathML source(Tc=4.5K). It is found that the disturbance from overdoped holes reduces the number of atom-strings and obscures every atom-string. These results indicate that the CuO2CuO2 plane possesses not only the two-dimensional electronic correlation caused by the two-dimensionality but also short-range one-dimensional one.