Influence of planar and point defects on the basal-plane conductivity of HoBaCuO single crystals

• The resistance of HoBaCuO single crystals is investigated.
• Electron–phonon scattering and fluctuation terms are quantified.
• Twin boundaries are found to reduce the transverse coherence length.

The resistivity along and across twin boundaries in HoBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystals is investigated in the temperature range Tc–300K. It is revealed that the twin boundaries enhance inhomogeneity of the oxygen distribution, whereby regions near them are depleted in oxygen. The normal-state conductivity is determined by scattering of electrons on phonons and defects both along and across the twin boundaries. Near TcTc, the electrical conductivity can be described within the framework of the 3D Aslamazov–Larkin fluctuation model. It is found that the twin boundaries increase the intensity of the electron–phonon scattering and reduce the transverse coherence length ξc(0)ξc(0).