Theory of incommensurate magnetic correlations across the insulator-superconductor transition of underdoped La2-xSrxCuO4

Phys Rev Lett. 2005 Mar 11;94(9):097005. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.097005. Epub 2005 Mar 11.

Abstract

The main feature in the elastic neutron scattering of La2-xSrxCuO4 is the existence of incommensurate peaks with positions that jump from 45 degrees to 0 degrees at 5% doping. We show that the spiral state of the t-t(')-t('')-J model with realistic parameters describes these data perfectly. We explain why in the insulator the peak is at 45 degrees while it switches to 0 degrees precisely at the insulator-metal transition. The calculated positions of the peaks are in agreement with the data in both phases.