Universal short-range orthorhombic correlations in two cuprate superconductors

ORAL

Abstract

The high-temperature copper-oxide (cuprate) superconductors have been extensively studied for over thirty years, yet important questions regarding their phase diagram and unconventional superconductivity remain. In particular, the role of inherent structural inhomogeneity is not well understood. We carried out diffuse X-ray and neutron scattering experiments on two cuprates – La2-xSrxCuO4 and Tl2Ba2CuO6+δ – and observed short-range orthorhombic correlations in wide doping and temperature ranges, including compositions that maintain tetragonal average structure at low temperature. The strength of this structural precursor response exhibits exponential temperature scaling. Similar exponential behavior was seen in the superconducting precursor of cuprates [1,2] and other oxides [3]. This points to the relevance of structural inhomogeneity for the emergence of superconductivity and is consistent with a recent phenomenological model for the cuprates [4].

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

*Work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through the University of Minnesota Center for Quantum Materials under Grant No. DE-SC0016371.

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Presenters

  • Richard Spieker

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

Authors

  • 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

  • Richard Spieker

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

  • Zachary Anderson

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

  • 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

  • Nina G Bielinski

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

  • Biqiong Yu

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

  • Takao Sasagawa

    • Materials and Structure Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology
    • Tokyo Institute of Technology
    • Laboratory for Materials and Structures, Tokyo Institute of Technology

  • Ludivine Chaviere

    • Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Pinder Dosanjh

    • Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia

  • Ruixing Liang

    • Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia
    • University of British Columbia
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia

  • Douglas A. Bonn

    • Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia
    • University of British Columbia
    • Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

  • Andrea Damascelli

    • Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia

  • Yaohua Liu

    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Oak Ridge National Lab
    • Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
    • Oak Ridge 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