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Emergence of Competing Stripe Phase near the Mott Transition in Ti-doped Bilayer Calcium Ruthenates

ORAL

Abstract

The physics of nanoscale phase separation is at the heart of strongly correlated materials, where multiple degrees of freedom such as charge, spin, lattice, and orbital are simultaneously active. Using microwave impedance microscopy, we spatially resolved the coexisting phases on a Ca3(Ru0.9Ti0.1)2O7 bulk crystal during the metal-insulator transition. Different from a typical first- order phase transition where coexistence of the two terminal phases takes place, a new stripe phase oriented along the in-plane crystalline axes emerges inside both the G-type antiferromagnetic insulating state and paramagnetic metallic state. The effect of this electronic state can be observed in macroscopic measurements, allowing us to construct a phase diagram that takes into account the energetically competing phases. Our work provides a model approach to correlate macroscopic properties and mesoscopic phase separation in complex oxides.

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Presenters

  • Ashish Gangshettiwar

    University of Texas at Austin

Authors

  • Ashish Gangshettiwar

    University of Texas at Austin

  • Yanglin Zhu

    Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA, Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania State University, Penn State University, Physics, Penn State University, Pennsylvania state University

  • Jin Peng

    Tulane University

  • Yu Wang

    Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Physics, Penn State University, Pennsylvania state University

  • Zhanzhi Jiang

    University of Texas at Austin

  • Zhiqiang Mao

    Pennsylvania State University, Tulane University, Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA, Physics, The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, Penn State University, Physics, Penn State University, The Pennsylvania State University

  • Keji Lai

    University of Texas at Austin