Symmetry breaking of in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance with temperature in La-doped Sr<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub> film

ORAL

Abstract

Electron-doped Sr2IrO4 has been the subject of recent attention because of its similarities with hole-doped La2CuO4. However, direct evidence of its superconductivity has not yet been observed, which has led to various unresolved issues related to this material. In this study, a 14-nm thick La-doped Sr2IrO4 film was grown on a (001) SrTiO3 substrate. We found that the fourfold component of the in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance disappears and is replaced by a twofold symmetry as the temperature increases. Variable-temperature x-ray diffraction and spatially resolved optical second-harmonic generation experiments eliminate the possibility of crystal structural distortion. The temperature dependence of direct current magnetization measurements indicates that a change in the spin structure may account for the symmetry breaking, similar to the nematic ordering of iron-based and other superconductors. These provide a perspective on these materials that helps elucidate the nature of magnetic interactions and explores the expected superconductivity of iridates.

*the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 11674031, No. 11474022, No. 11474024, No. 11422430, and No. 11374035), the National Basic Research Program of China (Grants No.2014CB920903 and No.2013CB921701)

Presenters

  • Mingrui Liu

    • Beijing Normal Univ

Authors

  • Mingrui Liu

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • hongxia xue

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Jianchao Meng

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Ruipeng Bai

    • Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Weimin Jiang

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Zhe Zhang

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Jingzhuo Ling

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Lin He

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Ruifen Dou

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Changmin Xiong

    • Beijing Normal Univ
  • Jiacai Nie

    • Beijing Normal Univ