High-pressure effects on basal-plane conductivity of YPrBCO single crystals

Influence of high hydrostatic pressure up to 12 kbar on the basal-plane electrical resistance of Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals is investigated for moderate Pr doping levels (x ≈ 0.23). The application of high pressure leads to a threefold increase of the derivative dTc/dP in comparison with optimally-doped YBCO single crystals. Possible mechanisms of Tc suppression are discussed with account for features in the electronic spectrum of charge carriers, typical for lattices with strong coupling. The excess conductivity Δσ(T) obeys an exponential temperature dependence in the broad temperature range Tf