Correlated structural distortions in the cuprate superconductors

ORAL

Abstract

Nanoscale electronic inhomogeneity is a well-known aspect of perovskite-related quantum materials. Measurements of superconducting (SC) fluctuations above the bulk SC transition temperature in cuprates and other oxide superconductors revealed a universal inhomogeneity-dominated regime indicative of underlying structural inhomogeneity [1]. We studied several cuprate superconductors using neutron and X-ray diffuse scattering and found short-range-correlated structural distortions over wide doping and temperature ranges. Using structure modelling and the 3D-ΔPDF method [2], we reveal the real-space structure associated with these distortions and find atomic shifts perpendicular to the CuO2 planes, with a characteristic length scale similar to the SC correlation length. Along with a recent phenomenological model of the cuprates [3], these insights pave the way toward a comprehensive understanding of cuprate superconductivity.

[1] D. Pelc et al., Nat. Commun. 9, 4327 (2018); G. Yu et al., Phys. Rev. B. 99, 214502 (2019); D. Pelc et al., Nat. Commun. 10, 2729 (2019)
[2] M. J. Krogstad et al., Nat. Mater. 19, 63 (2019)
[3] D. Pelc et al., Sci. Adv. 5, eaau4538 (2019)

*This work was funded by the DOE through the University of Minnesota Center for Quantum Materials under DE-SC-0016371.

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Presenters

  • Zachary Anderson

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

Authors

  • Zachary Anderson

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

  • Damjan Pelc

    • School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota
    • University of Minnesota
    • University of Zagreb
    • Department of Physics, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science

  • Matthew Krogstad

    • Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Argonne National Laboratory
    • Materials Science Division, Argonne National Lab
    • Material Science, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Nikolaos Biniskos

    • School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota
    • Forschungszentrum Juelich

  • Biqiong Yu

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

  • Liam Thompson

    • University of Minnesota

  • Jack Zwettler

    • University of Minnesota

  • Richard Spieker

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

  • Nina G Bielinski

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

  • Stephan Rosenkranz

    • Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Argonne National Laboratory
    • Materials Science Division, Argonne National Lab
    • Materials Science, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Material Science, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Raymond Osborn

    • Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Argonne National Laboratory
    • Materials Science Division, Argonne National Lab
    • Materials Science, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Material Science, Argonne National Laboratory
    • Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory

  • Martin Greven

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