arXiv subjects

H. A. Mook

Publications and source records attributed to H. A. Mook.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2007

Quantum Spin Excitations through the metal-to-insulator crossover in $Y Ba_2 Cu_3 O_{6+y}$

We use inelastic neutron scattering to study the temperature dependence of the spin excitations of a detwinned superconducting YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.45}$ ($T_c=48$ K). In contrast to earlier work on YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.5}$ ($T_c=58$ K), where the prominent features in the magnetic spectra consist of a sharp collective magnetic excitation termed ``resonance'' and a large ($\hbarω\approx 15$ meV) superconducting spin gap, we find that the spin excitations in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.45}$ are gapless and have a much broader resonance. Our detailed mapping of magnetic scattering along the $a^\ast$/$b^\ast$-axis directions at different energies reveals that spin excitations are unisotropic and consistent with the ``hourglass''-like dispersion along the $a^\ast$-axis direction near the resonance, but they are isotropic at lower energies. Since a fundamental change in the low-temperature normal state of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+y}$ when superconductivity is suppressed takes place at $y\sim0.5$ with a metal-to-insulator crossover (MIC), where the ground state transforms from a metallic to an insulating-like phase, our results suggest a clear connection between the large change in spin excitations and the MIC. The resonance therefore is a fundamental feature of metallic ground state superconductors and a consequence of high-$T_c$ superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2007

Incommensurate magnetic structure in the orthorhombic perovskite ErMnO_3

By combining dielectric, specific heat, and magnetization measurements and high-resolution neutron powder diffraction, we have investigated the thermodynamic and magnetic/structural properties of the metastable orthorhombic perovskite ErMnO_3 prepared by high-pressure synthesis. The system becomes antiferromagnetically correlated below 42 K and undergoes a lock-in transition at 28 K with propagation wave vector (0,k_b,0), which remains incommensurate at low temperature. The intercorrelation between the magnetic structure and electric properties and the role of the rare earth moment are discussed.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2006

Magnetic Excitations and their energy change available to Superconducting Condensation in Optimally Doped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.95}$

Understanding the magnetic excitations in high-transition temperature (high-$T_c$) copper oxides is important because they may mediate the electron pairing for superconductivity. By determining the wavevector ({\bf Q}) and energy ($\hbarω$) dependence of the magnetic excitations, one can calculate the change in the exchange energy available to the superconducting condensation energy. For the high-$T_c$ superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$, the most prominent feature in the magnetic excitations is the resonance. Although the resonance has been suggested to contribute a major part of the superconducting condensation, the accuracy of such an estimation has been in doubt because the resonance is only a small portion of the total magnetic scattering. Here we report an extensive mapping of magnetic excitations for YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.95}$ ($T_c\approx 93$ K). Using the absolute intensity measurements of the full spectra, we estimate the change in the magnetic exchange energy between the normal and superconducting states and find it to be about 15 times larger than the superconducting condensation energy. Our results thus indicate that the change in the magnetic exchange energy is large enough to provide the driving force for high-$T_c$ superconductivity in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.95}$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2006

High Energy Spin Excitations in Electron-Doped Superconducting Pr$_{0.88}$LaCe$_{0.12}$CuO$_{4-δ}$ with $T_c=21$ K

We use high-resolution inelastic neutron scattering to study the low-temperature magnetic excitations of electron-doped superconducting Pr$_{0.88}$LaCe$_{0.12}$CuO$_{4-δ}$ ($T_c=21\pm 1$ K) over a wide energy range (4 meV$\le\hbarω\le 330$ meV). The effect of electron-doping is to cause a wave vector ($Q$) broadening in the low-energy ($\hbarω\le 80$ meV) commensurate spin fluctuations at ($π$,$π$) and to suppress the intensity of spin-wave-like excitations at high energies ($\hbarω\ge 100$ meV). This leads to a substantial redistribution in the spectrum of the local dynamical spin susceptibility $χ^{\prime\prime}(ω)$, and reveals a new energy scale similar to that of the lightly hole-doped YB$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.353}$ ($T_c=18$ K).

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Electronically competing phases and their magnetic field dependence in electron-doped nonsuperconducting and superconducting Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4

We present comprehensive neutron scattering studies of nonsuperconducting and superconducting electron-doped Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4(PLCCO). At zero field, the transition from antiferromagnetic (AF) as-grown PLCCO to superconductivity without static antiferromagnetism can be achieved by annealing the sample in pure Ar at different temperatures, which also induces an epitaxial (Pr,La,Ce)2O3 phase as an impurity. When the superconductivity first appears in PLCCO, a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) spin-density-wave (SDW) order is also induced, and both coexist with the residual three-dimensional (3D) AF state. A magnetic field applied along the [-1,1,0] direction parallel to the CuO2 plane induces a ``spin-flop'' transition, where the noncollinear AF spin structure of PLCCO is transformed into a collinear one. The spin-flop transition is continuous in semiconducting PLCCO, but gradually becomes sharp with increasing doping and the appearance of superconductivity. A c-axis aligned magnetic field that suppresses the superconductivity also enhances the quasi-2D SDW order at (0.5,0.5,0) for underdoped PLCCO. However, there is no effect on the 3D AF order in either superconducting or nonsuperconducting samples. Since the same field along the [-1,1,0] direction in the CuO2 plane has no (or little) effect on the superconductivity, (0.5,0.5,0) and (Pr,La,Ce)2O3 impurity positions, we conclude that the c-axis field-induced effect is intrinsic to PLCCO and arises from the suppression of superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2005

Electronic inhomogeneity and competing phases in electron-doped superconducting Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4

We use neutron scattering to demonstrate that electron-doped superconducting Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4 in the underdoped regime is electronically phase separated in the ground state, showing the coexistence of a superconducting phase with a three-dimensional antiferromagnetically ordered phase and a quasi-two-dimensional spin density wave modulation. The Neel temperature of both antiferromagnetic phases decreases linearly with increasing superconducting transition temperature (Tc) and vanishes when optimal superconductivity is achieved. These results indicate that the electron-doped copper oxides are close to a quantum critical point, where the delicate energetic balance between different competing states leads to microscopic heterogeneity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2004

Polarized Neutron Measurement of Magnetic Order in YBa2Cu3O6.45

Orbital current order of the d-density-wave type (DDW) has been postulated to explain the pseudogap in the high temperature superconductors. We have performed neutron scattering experiments to search for this order and show here the results obtained on an YBa2Cu3O6.45 sample using the best neutron spectrometers available. We argue that the data are consistent with a small, largely c-axis-directed moment, found below about 200K.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Doping evolution of the phonon density of states and electron-lattice interaction in Nd$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4+δ}$

We use inelastic neutron scattering to study the evolution of the generalized phonon density of states (GDOS) of the $n$-type high-$T_c$ superconductor Nd$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$CuO$_{4+δ}$ (NCCO), from the half-filled Mott-insulator ($x=0$) to the $T_c=24$ K superconductor ($x=0.15$). Upon doping the CuO$_2$ planes in Nd$_2$CuO$_{4+δ}$ (NCO) with electrons by Ce substitution, the most significant change in the GDOS is the softening of the highest phonon branches associated with the Cu-O bond stretching and out-of-plane oxygen vibration modes. However, the softening occurs within the first few percent of Ce-doping and is not related to the electron doping induced nonsuperconducting-superconducting transition (NST) at $x\approx 0.12$. These results suggest that the electron-lattice coupling in the $n$-type high-$T_c$ superconductors is different from that in the $p$-type materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Magnetic Order in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ Superconductors

Polarized and unpolarized neutron diffraction has been used to search for magnetic order in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ superconductors. Most of the measurements were made on a high quality crystal of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$. It is shown that this crystal has highly ordered ortho-II chain order, and a sharp superconducting transition. Inelastic scattering measurements display a very clean spin-gap and pseudogap with any intensity at 10 meV being 50 times smaller than the resonance intensity. The crystal shows a complicated magnetic order that appears to have three components. A magnetic phase is found at high temperatures that seems to stem from an impurity with a moment that is in the $a$-$b$ plane, but disordered on the crystal lattice. A second ordering occurs near the pseudogap temperature that has a shorter correlation length than the high temperature phase and a moment direction that is at least partly along the c-axis of the crystal. Its moment direction, temperature dependence, and Bragg intensities suggest that it may stem from orbital ordering of the $d$-density wave (DDW) type. An additional intensity increase occurs below the superconducting transition. The magnetic intensity in these phases does not change noticeably in a 7 Tesla magnetic field aligned approximately along the c-axis. Searches for magnetic order in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7}$ show no signal while a small magnetic intensity is found in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.45}$ that is consistent with c-axis directed magnetic order. The results are contrasted with other recent neutron measurements.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

X-Ray-Diffraction Study of Charge-Density-Waves and Oxygen-Ordering in YBa2Cu3O6+x Superconductor

We report a temperature-dependent increase below 300 K of diffuse superlattice peaks corresponding to q_0 =(~2/5,0,0) in an under-doped YBa_2Cu_3O_6+x superconductor (x~0.63). These peaks reveal strong c-axis correlations involving the CuO_2 bilayers, show a non-uniform increase below \~220 K with a plateau for ~100-160 K, and appear to saturate in the superconducting phase. We interpret this unconventional T-dependence of the ``oxygen-ordering'' peaks as a manifestation of a charge density wave in the CuO_2 planes coupled to the oxygen-vacancy ordering.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Charge Fluctuations in YBa2Cu3O6+x Superconductors

Striped phases in which spin and charge separate into different regions in the material have been proposed to account for the unusual properties of the high-$T_c$ cuprate superconductors. The driving force for a striped phase is the charge distribution, which self-organizes itself into linear regions. In the highest $T_c$ materials such regions are not static but fluctuate in time. Neutrons, having no charge, can not directly observe these fluctuations but they can be observed indirectly by their effect on the phonons. Neutron scattering measurements have been made using a specialized technique to study the phonon line shapes in four crystals with oxygen doping levels varying from highly underdoped to optimal doping. It is shown that fluctuating charge stripes exist over the whole doping range, and become visible below temperatures somewhat higher than the pseudogap temperature.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Observation of Magnetic Moments in the Superconducting State of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$

Neutron Scattering measurements for YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$ have identified small magnetic moments that increase in strength as the temperature is reduced below $T^\ast$ and further increase below $T_c$. An analysis of the data shows the moments are antiferromagnetic between the Cu-O planes with a correlation length of longer than 195 Åin the $a$-$b$ plane and about 35 Åalong the c-axis. The origin of the moments is unknown, and their properties are discusssed both in terms of Cu spin magnetism and orbital bond currents.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

Evolution of the resonance and incommensurate spin fluctuations in superconducting YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$

Polarized and unpolarized neutron triple-axis spectrometry was used to study the dynamical magnetic susceptibility $χ^{\prime\prime}({\bf q},ω)$ as a function of energy ($\hbarω$) and wave vector (${\bf q}$) in a wide temperature range for the bilayer superconductor YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ with oxygen concentrations, $x$, of 0.45, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.93, and 0.95. The most prominent features in the magnetic spectra include a spin gap in the superconducting state, a pseudogap in the normal state, the much-discussed resonance, and incommensurate spin fluctuations below the resonance. We establish the doping dependence of the spin gap in the superconducting state, the resonance energy, and the incommensurability of the spin fluctuations. We discuss in detail the procedure used for separating the magnetic scattering from phonon and other spurious effects. In the comparison of our experimental results with various microscopic theoretical models, particular emphasis was made to address the similarities and differences in the spin fluctuations of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ and La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

The connection between superconducting phase correlations and spin excitations in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$: A magnetic field study

One of the most striking universal properties of the high-transition-temperature (high-$T_c$) superconductors is that they are all derived from the hole-doping of their insulating antiferromagnetic (AF) parent compounds. From the outset, the intimate relationship between magnetism and superconductivity in these copper-oxides has intrigued researchers. Evidence for this link comes from neutron scattering experiments that show the unambiguous presence of short-range AF correlations (excitations) in cuprate superconductors. Even so, the role of such excitations in the pairing mechanism and superconductivity is still a subject of controversy. For YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$, where $x$ controls the hole-doping level, the most prominent feature in the magnetic excitations spectra is the ``resonance''. Here we show that for underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$, where $x$ and $T_c$ are below the optimal values, modest magnetic fields suppress the resonance significantly, much more so for fields approximately perpendicular rather than parallel to the CuO$_2$ planes. Our results indicate that the resonance measures pairing and phase coherence, suggesting that magnetism plays an important role in the superconductivity of cuprates. The persistence of a field effect above $T_c$ favors mechanisms with preformed pairs in the normal state of underdoped cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

One-dimensional nature of the magnetic fluctuations in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$

There is increasing evidence that inhomogeneous distributions of charge and spin--so-called "striped phases"--play an important role in determining the properties of the high-temperature superconductors. For example, recent neutron-scattering measurements on the YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-x}$ family of materials show both spin and charge fluctuations that are consistent with the striped-phase picture. But the fluctuations associated with a striped phase are expected to be one-dimensional, whereas the magnetic fluctuations observed to date appear to display two-dimensional symmetry. We show here that this apparent two-dimensionality results from measurements on twinned crystals, and that similar measurements on substantially detwinned crystals of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6.6}$ reveal the one-dimensional character of the magnetic fluctuations, thus greatly strengthening the striped-phase interpretation. Moreover, our results also suggest that superconductivity originates in charge stripes that extend along the b crystal axis, where the superfluid density is found to be substantially larger than for the a direction.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

Phonon Signature of Charge Inhomogeneity in High Temperature Superconductors YBa2Cu3O{6+x}

Temperature and composition dependences of high-energy longitudinal optical (LO) phonons in YBa2Cu3O{6+x}, studied by inelastic neutron scattering measurements, provide clear evidence for temperature dependent spatial inhomogeneity of doped charges. The measurements indicate that charge doping increases the volume fraction of the charged regions, while the local charge density remains unchanged. For the optimally doped sample the charge distribution changes sharply near the superconducting transition temperature, with stronger charge inhomogeneity below Tc. The remarkable magnitude of the phonon response to charge suggests strong involvement of phonons in charge dynamics.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2000

The Magnetic Excitation Spectrum and Thermodynamics of High-$T_c$ Superconductors

Inelastic neutron scattering was used to study the wavevector- and frequency-dependent magnetic fluctuations in single crystals of superconducting YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$. The spectra contain several important features, including a gap in the superconducting state, a pseudogap in the normal state and the much-discussed resonance peak. The appearance of the pseudogap determined from transport and nuclear resonance coincides with formation of the resonance in the magnetic excitations. The exchange energy associated with the resonance has the temperature and doping dependences as well as the magnitude to describe approximately the electronic specific heat near the superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$).

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1998

Temperature Evolution of the Pseudogap State in the Infra-Red Response of Underdoped La_(2-x)Sr_xCuO_4

The ab-plane optical spectra of two single crystals of underdoped La_(2-x)Sr_xCuO_4 were investigated. The reflectivity of La_(1.87)Sr_(0.13)CuO_4 has been measured in the frequency range 30- 9,000 cm-1 (0.004 -- 1 eV) both parallel and perpendicular to the CuO_2 planes, whereas La_(1.86)Sr_(0.14)CuO_4 was studied only in the ab-plane. The extended Drude model shows that the frequency-dependent effective scattering rate 1/tau(omega)is strongly suppressed below the high-frequency straight-line extrapolation, a signature of the pseudogap state. This suppression can be seen from temperatures below the superconducting transition up to 400 K. In the case of underdoped LSCO the straight-line extrapolation is temperature independent below 200 K, whereas above 200 K there is a strong temperature dependence of the high-frequency 1/tau(omega,T). The out-of-plane direction is also examined for evidence of the pseudogap state.

cond-mat.supr-con↗