Dopant-Induced Nanoscale Electronic Inhomogeneity in Ca2-xSrxRuO4

ORAL

Abstract

Ca$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$RuO$_{4}$ single crystals with 0.1 $\le \quad x \quad \le $ 2.0 have been studied systematically using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), and angle resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES). In contrast to the well-ordered lattice structure, the local density of states (LDOS) at the surface clearly shows a strong doping dependent nanoscale electronic inhomogeneity, regardless of the fact of \textit{isovalent }substitution. Remarkably, the surface electronic roughness measured by STM and the inverse spectral weight of quasiparticle (QP) states determined by ARPES are found to vary with $x$ in the same manner as the bulk in-plane residual resistivity, following the Nordheim rule. For the first time, the surface measurements--especially those with STM--are shown to be in good agreement with the bulk transport results, all clearly indicating a doping induced electronic disorder in the system.

*Supported by NSF DMR-0346826, DMR-0353108, DMR-0451163, DOE DE-FG02-04ER46125, DOE DMS, and ORAU faculty summer research program. The work at Oak Ridge National Laboratory was supported through DOE under Contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Authors

  • Jiandi Zhang

    • Florida International University
    • Department of Physics, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199
  • Rob Moore

    • University of Tennessee-Knoxville
  • Shancai Wang

    • Boston College
  • H. Ding

    • Boston College
  • Rongyin Jin

    • ORNL
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
  • David Mandrus

    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge TN 37831
    • Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab., Materials Science and Technology Division, Oak Ridge, TN
    • Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
  • Ward Plummer

    • University of Tennessee-Knoxville