Fate of charge order in overdoped La-based cuprates

K von Arx; Qisi Wang; S Mustafi; D G Mazzone; M Horio; D John Mukkattukavil; E Pomjakushina; S Pyon; T Takayama; H Takagi; T Kurosawa; N Momono; M Oda; N B Brookes; D Betto; W Zhang; T C Asmara; Y Tseng; T Schmitt; Y Sassa; J Chang

doi:10.1038/s41535-023-00539-w

Fate of charge order in overdoped La-based cuprates

NPJ Quantum Mater. 2023;8(1):7. doi: 10.1038/s41535-023-00539-w. Epub 2023 Jan 19.

Authors

K von Arx^{1

2}, Qisi Wang¹, S Mustafi¹, D G Mazzone³, M Horio⁴, D John Mukkattukavil⁵, E Pomjakushina⁶, S Pyon⁷, T Takayama⁸, H Takagi^{8

9}, T Kurosawa¹⁰, N Momono^{10

11}, M Oda¹⁰, N B Brookes¹², D Betto¹², W Zhang¹³, T C Asmara¹³, Y Tseng¹³, T Schmitt¹³, Y Sassa², J Chang¹

Affiliations

¹ Physik-Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
² Department of Physics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden.
³ Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen, PSI Switzerland.
⁴ Institute for Solid State Physics, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581 Japan.
⁵ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 751 20 Uppsala, Sweden.
⁶ Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen, PSI Switzerland.
⁷ Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8646 Japan.
⁸ Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
⁹ Department of Physics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Physics, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810 Japan.
¹¹ Department of Applied Sciences, Muroran Institute of Technology, Muroran, 050-8585 Japan.
¹² European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, B.P. 220, 38043 Grenoble, France.
¹³ Swiss Light Source, Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen, PSI Switzerland.

Abstract

In high-temperature cuprate superconductors, stripe order refers broadly to a coupled spin and charge modulation with a commensuration of eight and four lattice units, respectively. How this stripe order evolves across optimal doping remains a controversial question. Here we present a systematic resonant inelastic x-ray scattering study of weak charge correlations in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ and La_1.8-xEu_0.2Sr_xCuO₄. Ultra high energy resolution experiments demonstrate the importance of the separation of inelastic and elastic scattering processes. Long-range temperature-dependent stripe order is only found below optimal doping. At higher doping, short-range temperature-independent correlations are present up to the highest doping measured. This transformation is distinct from and preempts the pseudogap critical doping. We argue that the doping and temperature-independent short-range correlations originate from unresolved electron-phonon coupling that broadly peaks at the stripe ordering vector. In La_2-xSr_xCuO₄, long-range static stripe order vanishes around optimal doping and we discuss both quantum critical and crossover scenarios.

Keywords: Electronic properties and materials; Phase transitions and critical phenomena; Superconducting properties and materials.