Optical spectroscopic analysis of Sr$_{2}$RhO$_{4}$ and comparison with Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$

Sr$_{2}$RhO$_{4}$ is a strongly correlated electron oxide, similar to the unconventional superconductor Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$. Changing Ru to Rh destroys superconductivity and skews the crystal structure without eliminating T$^{2}$ resistivity [1,2]. Using optical floating zone furnace techniques we grew single crystals of Sr$_{2}$RhO$_{4}$. We then performed spectroscopic measurements of the material at frequencies ranging from 4 meV to 1.2 eV and temperatures from 12 K to 300 K. We compare these results with those from single crystals of Sr$_{2}$RuO$_{4}$, grown by the author at Kyoto University and displaying \textless 10\% 3K phase, which were measured concurrently with Sr$_{2}$RhO$_{4}$ on the same apparatus. The optical resistivity $\rho(\omega,T)$ of both of these materials are then compared to the predictions of Landau-Fermi liquid theory -- in particular, the ratio between the temperature dependence and frequency dependence of resistivity, which yields insight into electron scattering mechanisms. [3] 1. Hase \& Nishihara, doi: 10.1143/JPSJ.65.3957 2. Nagai et al, doi: 10.1143/JPSJ.79.114719 3. Maslov \& Chubukov, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.86.155137