Insulator-Metal Crossover near Optimal Doping in Pr_2-xCe_xCuO₄: Anomalous Normal-State Low Temperature Resistivity

Normal-state resistivity measurements at high fields and low temperatures in electron-doped Pr_2-xCe_xCuO₄ thin films reveal an insulator-metal crossover near a doping level x≈0.15, similar to a previous report on hole-doped La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. The temperature dependence of the resistivity of insulatinglike samples is sublogarithmic, while for metallic samples (with x = 0.17) the resistivity is linear from 40 mK to 40 K. This surprising latter observation suggests an unusual contribution to the scattering processes at low temperature in these materials. We conclude that the ground state at x = 0.15, corresponding to the maximum transition temperature, is equivalent for hole- and electron-doped cuprates.