Broken in-plane rotational symmetry in the hidden order phase of Sr<sub>2</sub>Ir<sub>1-x</sub>Rh<sub>x</sub>O<sub>4</sub>
ORAL
Abstract
The layered 5d transition metal oxide Sr2IrO4 hosts a Jeff =1/2 antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state, which strikingly resembles to the parent state of high-Tc cuprate superconductors. Recently, great interest has been aroused in the series of Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4, especially on the proposed hidden order phase above the antiferromagnetic ordering, which has been highlighted by optical second-harmonic generation and polarized neutron diffraction experiments [1, 2]. Here, by using exceptionally precise in-plane torque magnetometry [3-5], we provide thermodynamic evidence that nematicity, a spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry of the underlying lattice, develops well above the antiferromagnetic transition in pure and doped Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4. Our highly sensitive magnetic anisotropy measurements under in-plane field rotation reveal the growth of two-fold oscillations, which onsets at the hidden order temperature T*. The present results demonstrate striking similarities between the hidden order phase in Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4 and the pseudogap phase in high-Tc cuprates.
[1] L. Zhao et al., 12, 32 (2016).
[2] J. Jeong et al., Nat. Commun. 8, 15119 (2017).
[3] S. Kasahara et al., Nature 486, 382 (2012).
[4] Y. Sato et al., Nat. Phys. 13, 1074 (2017).
[5] H. Murayama et al., arXiv:1805.00276.
[1] L. Zhao et al., 12, 32 (2016).
[2] J. Jeong et al., Nat. Commun. 8, 15119 (2017).
[3] S. Kasahara et al., Nature 486, 382 (2012).
[4] Y. Sato et al., Nat. Phys. 13, 1074 (2017).
[5] H. Murayama et al., arXiv:1805.00276.
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Presenters
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Gang Cao
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado-Boulder
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309
- Department of Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder
- Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky
- University of Colorado, Boulder
- University of Colorado Boulder