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Unconventional short-range structural fluctuations in the cuprate high-T<sub>c</sub> superconductors

ORAL

Abstract

An overarching question in the study of quantum materials is the nature of the relation between structural and electronic properties. A prime example is the cuprate superconductors, for which the role of structural inhomogeneity has remained unclear. We have carried out diffuse X-ray and neutron scattering experiments on La2-xSrxCuO4 and Tl2Ba2CuO6+δ and observed prominent short-range orthorhombic fluctuations across the temperature-doping phase diagram, including for nominally tetragonal compositions [1]. The measured intensity exhibits exponential scaling in temperature, analogous to recent findings for the superconducting precursor of cuprates [2,3] and other oxides [4]. More recent X-ray scattering experiments extend these findings to additional temperatures and doping levels. Our results point to the relevance of structural inhomogeneity for the emergence of superconductivity in the cuprates.

[1] D. Pelc et al., arXiv:2103.05482 (2021)

[2] D. Pelc et al., Nat. Commun. 9, 4327 (2018)

[3] G. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. B. 99, 214502 (2019)

[4] D. Pelc et al., Nat. Commun. 10, 2729 (2019)

Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through the University of Minnesota Center for Quantum Materials under Grant No. DE-SC0016371.

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Publication: D. Pelc et al., arXiv:2103.05482 (2021)

Presenters

  • Richard J Spieker

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

Authors

  • Damjan Pelc

    Univ of Zagreb, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

  • Richard J Spieker

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

  • Zachary W Anderson

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

  • Matthew J Krogstad

    Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Nikolaos Biniskos

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

  • Nina G Bielinski

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

  • Biqiong Yu

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota

  • Takao Sasagawa

    Tokyo Inst of Tech - Yokohama, Materials and Structure Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology

  • Ludivine Chauviere

    Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Pinder Dosanjh

    Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Ruixing Liang

    Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Douglas A Bonn

    University of British Columbia, Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Andrea Damascelli

    University of British Columbia, Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Yaohua Liu

    Oak Ridge National Lab, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  • Raymond Osborn

    Argonne National Laboratory, Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Martin Greven

    University of Minnesota, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota