arXiv subjects

P. Maselli

Publications and source records attributed to P. Maselli.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2010

Pressure-temperature phase diagram of charge ordering in Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3

We observe how the charge-ordering (CO) temperature of Nd1/2Sr1/2MnO3 decreases with the external pressure p from 160 K at p = 0 down to 30 K at p ~ 4.5 GPa, by measuring the values p, T where the far-infrared spectral weight of the metallic phase is fully recovered. We thus determine the (p, T) phase diagram of CO in that manganite. We also find that the parameter d(lnTCO)/dp which describes this metallization from the CO phase is equal and opposite to the quantity d(lnTc)/dp which governs the metallization of the paramagnetic state at comparable Curie temperatures Tc, in similar manganites at half doping.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2008

Observation of charge-density-wave excitations in manganites

In the optical conductivity of four different manganites with commensurate charge order (CO), strong peaks appear in the meV range below the ordering temperature T_{CO}. They are similar to those reported for one-dimensional charge density waves (CDW) and are assigned to pinned phasons. The peaks and their overtones allow one to obtain, for La{1-n/8}Ca{n/8}$MnO{3} with n = 5, 6, the electron-phonon coupling, the effective mass of the CO system, and its contribution to the dielectric constant. These results support a description of the CO in La-Ca manganites in terms of moderately weak-coupling and of the CDW theory.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Effect of Mn substitution by Ga on the optical properties of a metallic manganite

In a metallic manganite like La(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO(3), the substitution of Mn(+3) by Ga(+3) dilutes the ferromagnetic order and locally cancels the Jahn-Teller distortion, without heavily affecting the crystal structure. One can thus follow the changes in the charge dynamics induced by Ga, until the ferro-metallic manganite is turned into an insulator. Here this phenomenon is studied in detail through the infrared reflectivity of five samples of La(2/3)Sr(1/3)Mn(1-x)Ga(x)O(3), with x increasing from 0 to 0.30 and for 50 < T < 320 K. A simple model which links the measured optical parameters to the magnetization M(x, T) well describes the behavior of the plasma frequency, the scattering rate, and the mid-infrared absorption along the metal-to-insulator transition.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Reflectivity measurements in uniaxial superconductors: a methodological discussion applied to the case of La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4)

Most of the novel superconductors are uniaxial crystals, with metallic planes ($ab$) orthogonal to an insulating axis ($c$). Far-infrared measurements of the reflectivity $R_{ab} (ω)$ provide valuable information on their low-energy electrodynamics, but involve delicate experimental issues. Two of them are a possible contamination of $R_{ab} (ω)$ from the c axis and the extrapolation of the $R_{ab}$ data to $ω$ =0, both above and below $T_c$. Here we discuss quantitatively these issues with particular regard to La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_{4+y}$, one of the most studied high-$T_c$ materials.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2003

Lucarelli et al. reply to Tajima et al. (cond-mat 0303493)

In their Comment to a recent paper of ours [Lucarelli et al., PRL 92, 037002 (2003)], Tajima et al. (cond-mat 0303493) argue that the samples of La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) where we find far-infrared peaks below 150 cm-1 (which suggest a charge stripe scenario) are not single crystals or are miscut. Here we show that the spectral feature on which this criticism is based was found both in floating-zone-grown crystals where the miscut was negligible, and in flux-grown crystals where the surface is intrinsically a-b. Further arguments are presented to support the validity of our data.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2002

Infrared signatures of charge stripes in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4)

The in-plane optical conductivity of seven La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) single crystals with x between 0 and 0.15 has been studied from 30 to 295 K. All doped samples exhibit strong peaks in the far-infrared, which closely resemble those observed in Cu-O "ladders" with one-dimensional charge-ordering. The behavior with doping and temperature of the peak energy, width, and intensity allows us to conclude that we are observing charge stripes dynamics in La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) on the fast time scale of infrared spectroscopy.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2001

Optical conductivity of the nonsuperconducting cuprate La(8-x)Sr(x)Cu(8)O(20)

La(8-x)Sr(x)Cu(8)O(20) is a non-superconducting cuprate, which exhibits a doubling of the elementary cell along the c axis. Its optical conductivity sigma (omega) has been first measured here, down to 20 K, in two single crystals with x = 1.56 and x = 2.24. Along c, sigma (omega) shows, in both samples, bands due to strongly bound charges, thus confirming that the cell doubling is due to charge ordering. In the ab plane, in addition to the Drude term one observes an infrared peak at 0.1 eV and a midinfrared band at 0.7 eV. The 0.1 eV peak hardens considerably below 200 K, in correspondence of an anomalous increase in the sample dc resistivity, in agreement with its polaronic origin. This study allows one to establish relevant similarities and differences with respect to the spectrum of the ab plane of the superconducting cuprates.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1999

Evolution of a polaron band through the phase diagram of Nd[2-x]Ce[x]CuO[4-y]

The evolution with doping and temperature of the polaronic absorption in a family of high-T$_c$ superconductors is first followed here across the whole phase diagram. The polaron band softens with increasing doping, is still present in the superconducting phase, and vanishes in the overdoped metallic phase. These results point toward the existence of polaron aggregates at low temperature and may provide an experimental ground for the increasing number of theoretical descriptions of many-polaron systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1998

Infrared absorption from Charge Density Waves in magnetic manganites

The infrared absorption of charge density waves coupled to a magnetic background is first observed in two manganites La{1-x}Ca{x}MnO{3} with x = 0.5 and x = 0.67. In both cases a BCS-like gap 2 Delta (T), which for x=0.5 follows the hysteretic ferro-antiferromagnetic transition, fully opens at a finite T{0} < T{Neel}, with 2 Delta(T{0})/kT{c} close to 5. These results may also explain the unusual coexistence of charge ordering and ferromagnetism in La{0.5}Ca{0.5}MnO{3}.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv1997

Fano effect in the $a-b$ plane of Nd$_{1.96}$Ce$_{0.04}$CuO$_{4+y}$: evidence of phonon interaction with a polaronic background

Reflectance measurements in properly selected samples of Nd$_{1.96}$Ce$_{0.04}$CuO$_{4+y}$ with different carrier concentrations provide a firm evidence of Fano antiresonances for the four transverse optical $E_u$ phonons in the $a-b$ plane. Fits performed without any previous subtraction of the electronic background, as well as the dependence on temperature of the renormalized phonon frequencies, show that the electronic continuum repsonsible for the Fano effect is the polaron band found in all parent compounds of high-T$_c$ superconductors.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1997

Small and large polarons in nickelates, manganites, and cuprates

By comparing the optical conductivities of La_{1.67}Sr_{0.33}NiO_{4} (LSNO), Sr_{1.5}La_{0.5}MnO_4 (SLMO), Nd_2CuO_{4-y} (NCO), and Nd_{1.96}Ce_{0.04}CuO_{4} (NCCO), we have identified a peculiar behavior of polarons in this cuprate family. While in LSNO and SLMO small polarons localize into ordered structures below a transition temperature, in those cuprates the polarons appear to be large, and at low T their binding energy decreases. This reflects into an increase of the polaron radius, which may trigger coherent transport.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv1996

Infrared response of ordered polarons in layered perovskites

We report on the infrared absorption spectra of three oxides where charged superlattices have been recently observed in diffraction experiments. In La$_{1.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$NiO$_4$, polaron localization is found to suppress the low-energy conductivity through the opening of a gap and to split the $E_{2u}$-$A_{2u}$ vibrational manifold of the oxygen octahedra. Similar effects are detected in Sr$_{1.5}$La$_{0.5}$MnO$_4$ and in La$_2$NiO$_{4+y}$, with peculiar differences related to the type of charge ordering.

cond-mat↗

arXiv1995

Polaronic optical absorption in electron-doped and hole-doped cuprates

Polaronic features similar to those previously observed in the photoinduced spectra of cuprates have been detected in the reflectivity spectra of chemically doped parent compounds of high-critical-temperature superconductors, both $n$-type and $p$-type. In Nd$_2$CuO$_{4-y}$ these features, whose intensities depend both on doping and temperature, include local vibrational modes in the far infrared and a broad band centered at $\sim$ 1000 cm$^{-1}$. The latter band is produced by the overtones of two (or three) local modes and is well described in terms of a small-polaron model, with a binding energy of about 500 cm$^{-1}$. Most of the above infrared features are shown to survive in the metallic phase of Nd$_{2-x}$Ce$_x$Cu0$_{4-y}$, Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CuO$_6$, and YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-y}$, where they appear as extra-Drude peaks. The occurrence of polarons is attributed to local modes strongly coupled to carriers, as shown by a comparison with tunneling results.

supr-con↗