Publications

2025

Experimental Detection of Topological Electronic State and Large Linear Magnetoresistance in SrSn₄ Superconductor
Pariari A. K., Sharma R. O., Balal M., Hücker M., Das T. & Barman S. R. (2025) Advanced Functional Materials. 35, 2, 2412515. Abstract
While recent experiments confirm the existence of hundreds of topological electronic materials, only a few exhibit the coexistence of superconductivity (SC) and a topological electronic state. These compounds attract significant attention in forefront research because of the potential for the existence of topological SC, paving the way for future technological advancements. SrSn₄ is known for exhibiting unusual SC below the transition temperature (T_C) of 4.8 K. Recent theory predicts a topological electronic state in this compound, which is yet to be confirmed by experiments. Systematic and detailed studies of the magnetotransport properties of SrSn₄ and its Fermi surface characterizations are also absent. For the first time, a quantum oscillation study reveals a nontrivial π-Berry phase, very light effective mass, and high quantum mobility of charge carriers in SrSn₄. Magnetotransport experiment unveils large linear transverse magnetoresistance (TMR) of more than 1200% at 5 K and 14 T. Angle-dependent transport experiments detect anisotropic and fourfold symmetric TMR, with the maximum value (≈2000%) occurring when the angle between the magnetic field and the crystallographic b-axis is 45°. The results suggest that SrSn₄ is the first topological material with SC above the boiling point of helium that displays such high magnetoresistance.

2024

Growth of bilayer stanene on a magnetic topological insulator aided by a buffer layer
Barman S., Bhakuni P., Sarkar S., Bhattacharya J., Balal M., Manna M., Giri S., Pariari A. K., Skála T., Hücker M., Batabyal R., Chakrabarti A., Barman S. R. et al. (2024) Physical Review B. 110, 16, 165407. Abstract
Stanene, a two-dimensional counterpart to graphene, has the potential to exhibit novel quantum phenomena when grown on a magnetic topological insulator (MTI). This work demonstrates the formation of up to bilayer stanene on 30% Sb-doped MnBi2Te4 (MBST), a well-known MTI, albeit with a buffer layer (BL) in between. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), when combined with density functional theory (DFT), reveals stanene-related bands such as two holelike bands and an inverted parabolic band around the Γ¯ point. An outer holelike band traverses the Fermi level (EF) and gives rise to a hexagonal Fermi surface, showing that stanene on MBST is metallic. In contrast, a band gap of 0.8 eV is observed at the K̄ point. We find that DFT shows good agreement with ARPES only when the BL and hydrogen passivation of the top Sn layer are considered in the calculation. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) establishes the honeycomb buckled structure of stanene. A stanene-related component is also detected in the Sn d core level spectra, in addition to a BL-related component. The BL, which forms because of the chemical bonding between Sn and the top two layers of MBST, has an ordered crystal lattice with random antisite defects. The composition of the BL is estimated to be Sn:Te:Bi/Sb ≈ 2:1:1 from x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Low-energy electron diffraction shows that the lattice constant of stanene is marginally larger than that of MBST, and the STM result aligns with this. The BL bridges this disparity and provides a platform for stanene growth.

Arxiv: 2310.08265
[All authors]

2023

Scanning SQUID-on-tip microscope in a top-loading cryogen-free dilution refrigerator
Zhou H., Auerbach N., Roy I., Bocarsly M., Huber M. E., Barick B., Pariari A., Hücker M., Lim Z. S., Ariando A., Berdyugin A. I., Xin N., Rappaport M., Myasoedov Y., Zeldov E. et al. (2023) Review of Scientific Instruments. 94, 5, 053706. Abstract
The scanning superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) fabricated on the tip of a sharp quartz pipette (SQUID-on-tip) has emerged as a versatile tool for the nanoscale imaging of magnetic, thermal, and transport properties of microscopic devices of quantum materials. We present the design and performance of a scanning SQUID-on-tip microscope in a top-loading probe of a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator. The microscope is enclosed in a custom-made vacuum-tight cell mounted at the bottom of the probe and is suspended by springs to suppress vibrations caused by the pulse tube cryocooler. Two capillaries allow for the in situ control of helium exchange gas pressure in the cell that is required for thermal imaging. A nanoscale heater is used to create local temperature gradients in the sample, which enables quantitative characterization of relative vibrations between the tip and the sample. The spectrum of the vibrations shows distinct resonant peaks with a maximal power density of about 27 nm/Hz1/2 in the in-plane direction. The performance of the SQUID-on-tip microscope is demonstrated by magnetic imaging of the MnBi2Te4 magnetic topological insulator, magnetization and current distribution imaging in a SrRuO3 ferromagnetic oxide thin film, and thermal imaging of dissipation in graphene.

[All authors]
Room Temperature Relaxometry of Single Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Proximity to α-RuCl₃ Nanoflakes
Kumar J., Yudilevich D., Smooha A., Zohar I., Pariari A. K., Stöhr R., Denisenko A., Hücker M. & Finkler A. (2023) Nano Letters. Abstract
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) center-based magnetometry has been proven to be a versatile sensor for various classes of magnetic materials in broad temperature and frequency ranges. Here, we use the longitudinal relaxation time T₁ of single NV centers to investigate the spin dynamics of nanometer-thin flakes of α-RuCl₃ at room temperature. We observe a significant reduction in the T₁ in the presence of α-RuCl₃ in the proximity of NVs, which we attribute to paramagnetic spin noise confined in the 2D hexagonal planes. Furthermore, the T₁ time exhibits a monotonic increase with an applied magnetic field. We associate this trend with the alteration of the spin and charge noise in α-RuCl₃ under an external magnetic field. These findings suggest that the influence of the spin dynamics of α-RuCl₃ on the T₁ of the NV center can be used to gain information about the material itself and the technique to be used on other 2D materials.
Room Temperature Relaxometry of Single Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Proximity to α-RuCl₃ Nanoflakes
Kumar J., Yudilevich D., Smooha A., Zohar I., Pariari A. K., Stöhr R., Denisenko A., Hücker M. & Finkler A. (2023) Nano Letters. Abstract
Nitrogen vacancy (NV) center-based magnetometry has been proven to be a versatile sensor for various classes of magnetic materials in broad temperature and frequency ranges. Here, we use the longitudinal relaxation time T₁ of single NV centers to investigate the spin dynamics of nanometer-thin flakes of α-RuCl₃ at room temperature. We observe a significant reduction in the T₁ in the presence of α-RuCl₃ in the proximity of NVs, which we attribute to paramagnetic spin noise confined in the 2D hexagonal planes. Furthermore, the T₁ time exhibits a monotonic increase with an applied magnetic field. We associate this trend with the alteration of the spin and charge noise in α-RuCl₃ under an external magnetic field. These findings suggest that the influence of the spin dynamics of α-RuCl₃ on the T₁ of the NV center can be used to gain information about the material itself and the technique to be used on other 2D materials.

2022

Direct observation of vortices in an electron fluid
Aharon-Steinberg A., Völkl T., Kaplan A., Pariari A. K., Roy I., Holder T., Wolf Y., Meltzer A. Y., Myasoedov Y., Huber M. E., Yan B., Falkovich G., Levitov L. S., Hücker M., Zeldov E. et al. (2022) Nature. 607, 7917, p. 74-80 Abstract
Vortices are the hallmarks of hydrodynamic flow. Strongly interacting electrons in ultrapure conductors can display signatures of hydrodynamic behaviour, including negative non-local resistance¹⁴, higher-than-ballistic conduction⁵⁷, Poiseuille flow in narrow channels⁸¹⁰ and violation of the WiedemannFranz law¹¹. Here we provide a visualization of whirlpools in an electron fluid. By using a nanoscale scanning superconducting quantum interference device on a tip¹², we image the current distribution in a circular chamber connected through a small aperture to a current-carrying strip in the high-purity type II Weyl semimetal WTe₂. In this geometry, the Gurzhi momentum diffusion length and the size of the aperture determine the vortex stability phase diagram. We find that vortices are present for only small apertures, whereas the flow is laminar (non-vortical) for larger apertures. Near the vortical-to-laminar transition, we observe the single vortex in the chamber splitting into two vortices; this behaviour is expected only in the hydrodynamic regime and is not anticipated for ballistic transport. These findings suggest a new mechanism of hydrodynamic flow in thin pure crystals such that the spatial diffusion of electron momenta is enabled by small-angle scattering at the surfaces instead of the routinely invoked electronelectron scattering, which becomes extremely weak at low temperatures. This surface-induced para-hydrodynamics, which mimics many aspects of conventional hydrodynamics including vortices, opens new possibilities for exploring and using electron fluidics in high-mobility electron systems.

Accepted version
[All authors]
Unveiling Unequivocal Charge Stripe Order in a Prototypical Cuprate Superconductor
Choi J., Wang Q., Jöhr S., Christensen N. B., Küspert J., Bucher D., Biscette D., Fischer M. H., Hücker M., Kurosawa T., Momono N., Oda M., Ivashko O., Zimmermann M. V., Janoschek M., Chang J. et al. (2022) Physical review letters. 128, 20, 207002. Abstract
In the cuprates, high-temperature superconductivity, spin-density-wave order, and charge-density-wave (CDW) order are intertwined, and symmetry determination is challenging due to domain formation. We investigated the CDW in the prototypical cuprate La1.88Sr0.12CuO4 via x-ray diffraction employing uniaxial pressure as a domain-selective stimulus to establish the unidirectional nature of the CDW unambiguously. A fivefold enhancement of the CDW amplitude is found when homogeneous superconductivity is partially suppressed by magnetic field. This field-induced state provides an ideal search environment for a putative pair-density-wave state.

[All authors]

2020

Spatially inhomogeneous competition between superconductivity and the charge density wave in YBa2Cu3O6.67
J. Choi, O. Ivashko, E. Blackburn, R. Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, A. T. Holmes, N. B. Christensen, M. Hücker, S. Gerber, O. Gutowski, U. Rütt, M. v. Zimmermann, E. M. Forgan, S. M. Hayden, J. Chang (2020) Nature Communications. 11, p. 990 Abstract
The charge density wave in the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) has two different ordering tendencies differentiated by their c-axis correlations. These correspond to ferro- (F-CDW) and antiferro- (AF-CDW) couplings between CDWs in neighbouring CuO2 bilayers. This discovery has prompted several fundamental questions: how does superconductivity adjust to two competing orders and are either of these orders responsible for the electronic reconstruction? Here we use x-ray diffraction to study YBa2Cu3O6.67 as a function of magnetic field and temperature. We show that regions with F-CDW correlations suppress superconductivity more strongly than those with AF-CDW correlations. This implies that an inhomogeneous superconducting state exists, in which some regions show a fragile form of superconductivity. By comparison of F-CDW and AF-CDW correlation lengths, it is concluded that F-CDW ordering is sufficiently long-range to modify the electronic structure. Our study thus suggests that F-CDW correlations impact both the superconducting and normal state properties of YBCO.

2017

Charge-Stripe Order and Superconductivity in Ir(1-x)PtxTe(2)
Ivashko O., Yang L., Destraz D., Martino E., Chen Y., Guo C. Y., Yuan H. Q., Pisoni A., Matus P., Pyon S., Kudo K., Nohara M., Forro L., Ronnow H. M., Hucker M., von Zimmermann M., Chang J. et al. (2017) Scientific Reports. 7, 17157. Abstract
A combined resistivity and hard x-ray diffraction study of superconductivity and charge ordering in Ir Ir(1-x)PtxTe(2), as a function of Pt substitution and externally applied hydrostatic pressure, is presented. Experiments are focused on samples near the critical composition x(c)-0.045 where competition and switching between charge order and superconductivity is established. We show that charge order as a function of pressure in Ir0.95Pt0.05Te2 is preempted-and hence triggered - by a structural transition. Charge ordering appears uniaxially along the short crystallographic (1, 0, 1) domain axis with a (1/5, 0, 1/5) modulation. Based on these results we draw a charge-order phase diagram and discuss the relation between stripe ordering and superconductivity.

[All authors]
Charge-stripe order and superconductivity in Ir_1-xPt_xTe₂
Ivashko O., Yang L., Destraz D., Martino E., Chen Y., Guo C. Y., Yuan H. Q., Pisoni A., Matus P., Pyon S., Kudo K., Nohara M., Forró L., Rønnow H. M., Hücker M., Zimmermann M. V., Chang J. et al. (2017) Scientific Reports. 7, 1, 17157. Abstract
A combined resistivity and hard x-ray diffraction study of superconductivity and charge ordering in Ir Ir_1-xPt_xTe₂, as a function of Pt substitution and externally applied hydrostatic pressure, is presented. Experiments are focused on samples near the critical composition x _c ∼ 0.045 where competition and switching between charge order and superconductivity is established. We show that charge order as a function of pressure in Ir_0.95Pt_0.05Te₂ is preempted - and hence triggered - by a structural transition. Charge ordering appears uniaxially along the short crystallographic (1, 0, 1) domain axis with a (1/5, 0, 1/5) modulation. Based on these results we draw a charge-order phase diagram and discuss the relation between stripe ordering and superconductivity.

[All authors]

2016

Magnetic field controlled charge density wave coupling in underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x
Chang J., Blackburn E., Ivashko O., Holmes A. T., Christensen N. B., Hücker M., Liang R., Bonn D. A., Hardy W. N., Rütt U., Zimmermann M. V., Forgan E. M., Hayden S. M. et al. (2016) Nature Communications. 7, 11494. Abstract
The application of magnetic fields to layered cuprates suppresses their high-temperature superconducting behaviour and reveals competing ground states. In widely studied underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_6+x (YBCO), the microscopic nature of field-induced electronic and structural changes at low temperatures remains unclear. Here we report an X-ray study of the high-field charge density wave (CDW) in YBCO. For hole dopings ∼0.123, we find that a field (B∼10 T) induces additional CDW correlations along the CuO chain (b-direction) only, leading to a three-dimensional (3D) ordered state along this direction at B∼15 T. The CDW signal along the a-direction is also enhanced by field, but does not develop an additional pattern of correlations. Magnetic field modifies the coupling between the CuO₂ bilayers in the YBCO structure, and causes the sudden appearance of the 3D CDW order. The mirror symmetry of individual bilayers is broken by the CDW at low and high fields, allowing Fermi surface reconstruction, as recently suggested.

[All authors]
Magnetic field controlled charge density wave coupling in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x
J. Chang, E. Blackburn, O. Ivashko, A. T. Holmes, N. B. Christensen, M. Hücker, Ruixing Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, U. Rütt, M. v. Zimmermann, E. M. Forgan, S. M. Hayden (2016) Nature Communications. 7, p. 11494 Abstract
The application of magnetic fields to layered cuprates suppresses their high-temperature superconducting behaviour and reveals competing ground states. In widely studied underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO), the microscopic nature of field-induced electronic and structural changes at low temperatures remains unclear. Here we report an X-ray study of the high-field charge density wave (CDW) in YBCO. For hole dopings ∼0.123, we find that a field (B∼10 T) induces additional CDW correlations along the CuO chain (b-direction) only, leading to a three-dimensional (3D) ordered state along this direction at B∼15 T. The CDW signal along the a-direction is also enhanced by field, but does not develop an additional pattern of correlations. Magnetic field modifies the coupling between the CuO2 bilayers in the YBCO structure, and causes the sudden appearance of the 3D CDW order. The mirror symmetry of individual bilayers is broken by the CDW at low and high fields, allowing Fermi surface reconstruction, as recently suggested.
Nematicity in stripe-ordered cuprates probed via resonant x-ray scattering
A. J. Achkar, M. Zwiebler, C. McMahon, F. He, R. Sutarto, I. Djianto, Z. Hao, M. J. P. Gingras, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, A. Revcolevschi, H. Zhang, Y.-J. Kim, J. Geck, D. G. Hawthorn (2016) Science. 351, p. 576 Abstract
In underdoped cuprate superconductors, a rich competition occurs between superconductivity and charge density wave (CDW) order. Whether rotational symmetry-breaking (nematicity) occurs intrinsically and generically or as a consequence of other orders is under debate. Here, we employ resonant x-ray scattering in stripe-ordered superconductors (La,M)2CuO4 to probe the relationship between electronic nematicity of the Cu 3d orbitals, structure of the (La,M)2O2 layers, and CDW order. We find distinct temperature dependences for the structure of the (La,M)2O2 layers and the electronic nematicity of the CuO2 planes, with only the latter being enhanced by the onset of CDW order. These results identify electronic nematicity as an order parameter that is distinct from a purely structural order parameter in underdoped striped cuprates.
Magnetic field controlled charge density wave coupling in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6+x
A. J. Achkar, F. He, R. Sutarto, C. McMahon, M. Zwiebler, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, R. Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, J. Geck, and D. G. Hawthorn (2016) Nature Materials. 15, p. 616 Abstract
Recent theories of charge-density-wave (CDW) order in high-temperature superconductors have predicted a primarily d CDW orbital symmetry. Here, we report on the orbital symmetry of CDW order in the canonical cuprate superconductors La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 (LBCO) and YBa2Cu3O6.67 (YBCO), using resonant soft X-ray scattering and a model mapped to the CDW orbital symmetry. From measurements sensitive to the O sublattice, we conclude that LBCO has predominantly s′ CDW orbital symmetry, in contrast to the d orbital symmetry recently reported in other cuprates. Furthermore, we show for YBCO that the CDW orbital symmetry differs along the a and b crystal axes and that these both differ from LBCO. This work highlights CDW orbital symmetry as an additional key property that distinguishes the different cuprate families. We discuss how the CDW symmetry may be related to the ‘1/8–anomaly’ and to static spin ordering.
Combined single crystal polarized XAFS and XRD at high pressure: probing the interplay between lattice distortions and electronic order at multiple length scales in high Tc cuprates
G. Fabbris, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, J. M. Tranquada, D. Haskel (2016) High Pressure Research. 36, p. 348 Abstract
Some of the most exotic material properties derive from electronic states with short correlation length (∼10−500 Å), suggesting that the local structural symmetry may play a relevant role in their behavior. Here, we discuss the combined use of polarized x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction at high pressure as a powerful method to tune and probe structural and electronic orders at multiple length scales. Besides addressing some of the technical challenges associated with such experiments, we illustrate this approach with results obtained in the cuprate La1.875Ba0.125CuO4, in which the response of electronic order to pressure can only be understood by probing the structure at the relevant length scales.

2015

The microscopic structure of charge density waves in underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O_6.54 revealed by X-ray diffraction
Forgan E. M., Blackburn E., Holmes A. T., Briffa A. K., Chang J., Bouchenoire L., Brown S. D., Liang R., Bonn D., Hardy W. N., Christensen N. B., Zimmermann M. V., Hücker M., Hayden S. M. et al. (2015) Nature Communications. 6, 10064. Abstract
Charge density wave (CDW) order appears throughout the underdoped high-temperature cuprate superconductors, but the underlying symmetry breaking and the origin of the CDW remain unclear. We use X-ray diffraction to determine the microscopic structure of the CDWs in an archetypical cuprate YBa₂Cu₃O_6.54 at its superconducting transition temperature ∼60 K. We find that the CDWs in this material break the mirror symmetry of the CuO₂ bilayers. The ionic displacements in the CDWs have two components, which are perpendicular and parallel to the CuO₂ planes, and are out of phase with each other. The planar oxygen atoms have the largest displacements, perpendicular to the CuO₂ planes. Our results allow many electronic properties of the underdoped cuprates to be understood. For instance, the CDWs will lead to local variations in the electronic structure, giving an explicit explanation of density-wave states with broken symmetry observed in scanning tunnelling microscopy and soft X-ray measurements.

[All authors]
Magnetic field induced anisotropy of 139La spin-lattice relaxation rates in stripe ordered La1.875Ba0.125CuO4
S.-H. Baek, Y. Utz, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, B. Büchner, and H.-J. Grafe (2015) Phys. Rev. B. 92, p. 155144 Abstract
We report 139La nuclear magnetic resonance studies performed on a La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 single crystal. The data show that the structural phase transitions (high-temperature tetragonal→low-temperature orthorhombic→low-temperature tetragonal phase) are of the displacive type in this material. The 139La spin-lattice relaxation rate T−11 sharply upturns at the charge-ordering temperature TCO=54 K, indicating that charge order triggers the slowing down of spin fluctuations. Detailed temperature and field dependencies of the T−11 below the spin-ordering temperature TSO=40 K reveal the development of enhanced spin fluctuations in the spin-ordered state for H∥[001], which are completely suppressed for large fields along the CuO2 planes. Our results shed light on the unusual spin fluctuations in the charge and spin stripe ordered lanthanum cuprates.
The microscopic structure of charge density waves in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6.54 revealed by X-ray diffraction
E. M. Forgan, E. Blackburn, A. T. Holmes, A. Briffa, J. Chang, L. Bouchenoire, S. D. Brown, Ruixing Liang, D. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, N. B. Christensen, M. v. Zimmermann, M. Hücker, S. M. Hayden (2015) Nature Communications. 6, p. 10064 Abstract
Charge density wave (CDW) order appears throughout the underdoped high-temperature cuprate superconductors, but the underlying symmetry breaking and the origin of the CDW remain unclear. We use X-ray diffraction to determine the microscopic structure of the CDWs in an archetypical cuprate YBa2Cu3O6.54 at its superconducting transition temperature ∼60 K. We find that the CDWs in this material break the mirror symmetry of the CuO2 bilayers. The ionic displacements in the CDWs have two components, which are perpendicular and parallel to the CuO2 planes, and are out of phase with each other. The planar oxygen atoms have the largest displacements, perpendicular to the CuO2 planes. Our results allow many electronic properties of the underdoped cuprates to be understood. For instance, the CDWs will lead to local variations in the electronic structure, giving an explicit explanation of density-wave states with broken symmetry observed in scanning tunnelling microscopy and soft X-ray measurements.
Neutron scattering study of spin ordering and stripe pinning in superconducting La1.93Sr0.07CuO4
H. Jacobsen, I. A. Zaliznyak, A. T. Savici, B. L. Winn, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, and J. M. Tranquada (2015) Phys. Rev. B. 92, p. 174525 Abstract
The relationships among charge order, spin fluctuations, and superconductivity in underdoped cuprates remain controversial. We use neutron scattering techniques to study these phenomena in La1.93Sr0.07CuO4, a superconductor with a transition temperature of Tc=20 K. At T≪Tc we find incommensurate spin fluctuations with a quasielastic energy spectrum and no sign of a gap within the energy range from 0.2 to 15 meV. A weak elastic magnetic component grows below ∼10 K, consistent with results from local probes. Regarding the atomic lattice, we have discovered unexpectedly strong fluctuations of the CuO6 octahedra about Cu-O bonds, which are associated with inequivalent O sites within the CuO2 planes. Furthermore, we observed a weak elastic (3¯30) superlattice peak that implies a reduced lattice symmetry. The presence of inequivalent O sites rationalizes various pieces of evidence for charge stripe order in underdoped La2−xSrxCuO4. The coexistence of superconductivity with quasistatic spin-stripe order suggests the presence of intertwined orders; however, the rotation of the stripe orientation away from the Cu-O bonds might be connected with evidence for a finite gap at the nodal points of the superconducting gap function.

2014

Competing charge, spin, and superconducting orders in underdoped YBa2Cu3Oy
M. Hücker, N. B. Christensen, A. T. Holmes, E. Blackburn, E. M. Forgan, R. Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, O. Gutowski, M. v. Zimmermann, S. M. Hayden, and J. Chang (2014) Phys. Rev. B . 90, p. 054514 Abstract
To explore the doping dependence of the recently discovered charge-density-wave (CDW) order in YBa2Cu3Oy, we present a bulk-sensitive high-energy x-ray study for several oxygen concentrations, including strongly underdoped YBa2Cu3O6.44. Combined with previous data around the so-called 1/8 doping, we show that bulk CDW order exists at least for hole concentrations (p) in the CuO2 planes of 0.078≲p≲0.132. This implies that CDW order exists in close vicinity to the quantum critical point for spin-density-wave (SDW) order. In contrast to the pseudogap temperature T∗, the onset temperature of CDW order decreases with underdoping to TCDW∼90 K in YBa2Cu3O6.44. Together with a weakened order parameter this suggests a competition between CDW and SDW orders. In addition, the CDW order in YBa2Cu3O6.44 shows the same type of competition with superconductivity as a function of temperature and magnetic field as samples closer to p=1/8. At low p the CDW incommensurability continues the previously reported linear increasing trend with underdoping. In the entire doping range the in-plane correlation length of the CDW order in b axis direction depends only very weakly on the hole concentration, and appears independent of the type and correlation length of the oxygen-chain order. The onset temperature of the CDW order is remarkably close to a temperature T† that marks the maximum of 1/(T1T) in planar 63Cu NQR/NMR experiments, potentially indicating a response of the spin dynamics to the formation of the CDW. Our discussion of these findings includes a detailed comparison to the charge stripe order in La2−xBaxCuO4.
Suppression of the charge-density-wave state in Sr10Ca4Cu24o41 by external pressure
C. A. Kuntscher, A. Huber, and M. Hücker (2014) Phys. Rev. B. 89, p. 134510 Abstract
The influence of external pressure on the charge-density-wave (CDW) ground state of the quasi-one-dimensional two-leg ladder compound Sr10Ca4Cu24o41 has been studied by optical reflectivity measurements as a function of temperature (10–300 K) and pressure P (0.3–4.3 GPa) over the spectral range 580–6000 cm1. With increasing pressure the CDW transition temperature TCDW decreases with the linear pressure coefficient ≈−70 K/GPa, and above ≈3 GPa the CDW phase is suppressed at all temperatures. This behavior is similar to that in compounds Sr14−xCaxCu24o41 with increasing Ca content x at ambient pressure, with the simple scaling x≈3×P(GPa). The size of the CDW gap decreases with increasing pressure, whereas the dimensionality of the high-temperature insulating phase in Sr10Ca4Cu24o41 within the ladder plane is hardly affected by external pressure.
Evidence of Chiral Order in the Charge-Ordered Phase of Superconducting La1.875Ba0.125Cuo4 Single Crystals Using Polar Kerr-Effect Measurements
H. Karapetyan, J. Xia, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, J. M. Tranquada, M. M. Fejer, and A. Kapitulnik (2014) Phys. Rev. Lett. . 112, p. 047003 Abstract
High resolution polar Kerr effect measurements were performed on La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 single crystals revealing that a finite Kerr signal is measured below an onset temperature TK that coincides with the charge ordering transition temperature TCO. We further show that the sign of the Kerr signal cannot be trained with the magnetic field, is found to be the same on opposite sides of the same crystal, and is odd with respect to strain in the diagonal direction of the unit cell. These observations are consistent with a chiral “gyrotropic” order above Tc for La1.875Ba0.125CuO4; similarities to other cuprates suggest that it is a universal property in the pseudogap regime.
Polarization-dependent infrared reflectivity study of Sr2.5Ca11.5Cu24O41 under pressure: Charge dynamics, charge distribution, and anisotropy
S. Frank, A. Huber, U. Ammerahl, M. Hücker, and C. A. Kuntscher (2014) Phys. Rev. B. 90, p. 224516 Abstract
We present a polarization-dependent infrared reflectivity study of the spin-ladder compound Sr2.5Ca11.5Cu24O41 under pressure. The optical response is strongly anisotropic, with the highest reflectivity along the ladders/chains (E∥c) revealing a metallic character. For the polarization direction perpendicular to the ladder plane, an insulating behavior is observed. With increasing pressure the optical conductivity for E∥c shows a strong increase, which is most pronounced below 2000cm−1. According to the spectral weight analysis of the E∥c optical conductivity the hole concentration in the ladders increases with increasing pressure and tends to saturate at high pressure. At ∼7.5 GPa the number of holes per Cu atom in the ladders has increased by Δδ=0.09(±0.01), and the Cu valence in the ladders has reached the value +2.33. The optical data suggest that Sr2.5Ca11.5Cu24O41 remains electronically highly anisotropic up to high pressure, also at low temperatures.
Itinerant effects and enhanced magnetic interactions in Bi-based multilayer cuprates
M. P. M. Dean, A. J. A. James, A. C. Walters, V. Bisogni, I. Jarrige, M. Hücker, E. Giannini, M. Fujita, J. Pelliciari, Y. B. Huang, R. M. Konik, T. Schmitt, and J. P. Hill (2014) Phys. Rev. B. 90, p. 220506(R) Abstract
The cuprate high temperature superconductors exhibit a pronounced trend in which the superconducting transition temperature Tc increases with the number of CuO2 planes n in the crystal structure. We compare the magnetic excitation spectrum of Bi2+xSr2−xCuO6+δ (Bi-2201) and Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ (Bi-2223), with n=1 and 3, respectively, using Cu L3-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering. Near the antinodal zone boundary we find the paramagnon energy in Bi-2223 is substantially higher than that in Bi-2201, indicating that multilayer cuprates host stronger effective magnetic exchange interactions, providing a possible explanation for the Tc vs n scaling. In contrast, the nodal direction exhibits very strongly damped, almost nondispersive excitations. We argue that this implies that the magnetism in the doped cuprates is partially itinerant in nature.

2013

Structural transitions in a doped lanthanum cuprate
Baek S. H., Hammel P. C., Hücker M., Büchner B., Ammerahl U., Revcolevschi A. & Suh B. J. (2013) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 87, 17, 174505. Abstract
139La NMR and relaxation measurements have been performed on La _1.8-xEu_0.2Sr_xCuO₄ (x=0.13 and 0.2) single crystals. The temperature dependence of the 139La NMR spectra in all the structural phases [high-temperature tetragonal (HTT) → low-temperature orthorhombic (LTO) → low-temperature tetragonal (LTT)] reveals the nonvanishing tilt angle of the CuO₆ octahedra in the HTT phase, opposed to the case of La_2-xSr_xCuO₄ where the tilt angle disappears immediately above the transition. Since 139La relaxation data provide evidence of the thermodynamic critical fluctuations associated with the structural phase transitions, HTT → LTO and LTO → LTT, we conclude that the structural transitions in Eu-doped La_2-xSr _xCuO₄ should be of the order-disorder type rather than of the displacive type observed in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄. The change of the nature of the structural transitions caused by doping with Eu appears to be consistent with the LTO → LTT transition that is absent in La_2-xSr_xCuO₄.
X-ray diffraction observations of a charge-density-wave order in superconducting ortho-II YBa₂Cu₃O_6.54 single crystals in zero magnetic field
Blackburn E., Chang J., Hücker M., Holmes A. T., Christensen N. B., Liang R., Bonn D. A., Hardy W. N., Rütt U., Gutowski O., Zimmermann M. V., Forgan E. M., Hayden S. M. et al. (2013) Physical review letters. 110, 13, 137004. Abstract
X-ray diffraction measurements show that the high-temperature superconductor YBa₂Cu₃O_6.54, with ortho-II oxygen order, has charge-density-wave order in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The dominant wave vector of the charge density wave is q _CDW=(0,0.328(2),0.5), with the in-plane component parallel to the b axis (chain direction). It has a similar incommensurability to that observed in ortho-VIII and ortho-III samples, which have different dopings and oxygen orderings. Our results for ortho-II contrast with recent high-field NMR measurements, which suggest a commensurate wave vector along the a axis. We discuss the relationship between spin and charge correlations in YBa ₂Cu₃O_y and recent high-field quantum oscillation, NMR, and ultrasound experiments.

[All authors]
Evolution of superconducting correlations within magnetic-field-decoupled La_2-xBa_xCuO₄ (x=0.095)
Stegen Z., Han S. J., Wu J., Pramanik A. K., Hücker M., Gu G., Li Q., Park J. H., Boebinger G. S., Tranquada J. M. et al. (2013) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 87, 6, 064509. Abstract
We explore the evolution of superconductivity in La_2-xBa _xCuO₄ with x=0.095 in magnetic fields of up to 35 T applied perpendicular to the CuO₂ planes. Previous work on this material has shown that perpendicular fields enhance both charge- and spin-stripe order within the planes. We present measurements of the resistivity parallel and perpendicular to the planes, as well as the Hall effect. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility for fields of up to 15 T applied both parallel and perpendicular to the planes provide complementary measures of the superconductivity. We show that fields sufficient to destroy pair tunneling between the planes do not disrupt the superconducting correlations within the planes. In fact, we observe an onset of large-amplitude but phase-disordered superconductivity within the planes at approximately 30 K that is remarkably insensitive to field. With further cooling, we observe a phase-transition-like drop in the in-plane resistivity to an apparent state of superconductivity despite the lack of phase coherence between the layers. These observations raise interesting questions concerning the identification of the upper critical field, where pairing is destroyed, in underdoped cuprates.

[All authors]
Evolution of superconducting correlations within magnetic-field-decoupled La2−xBaxCuO4 (x=0.095)
Z. Stegen, S. J. Han, J. Wu, A. K. Pramanik, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, Q. Li, J. H. Park, G. S. Boebinger, and J. M. Tranquada (2013) Phys. Rev. B. 87, p. 064509 Abstract
We explore the evolution of superconductivity in La2−xBaxCuO4 with x=0.095 in magnetic fields of up to 35 T applied perpendicular to the CuO2 planes. Previous work on this material has shown that perpendicular fields enhance both charge- and spin-stripe order within the planes. We present measurements of the resistivity parallel and perpendicular to the planes, as well as the Hall effect. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility for fields of up to 15 T applied both parallel and perpendicular to the planes provide complementary measures of the superconductivity. We show that fields sufficient to destroy pair tunneling between the planes do not disrupt the superconducting correlations within the planes. In fact, we observe an onset of large-amplitude but phase-disordered superconductivity within the planes at approximately 30 K that is remarkably insensitive to field. With further cooling, we observe a phase-transition-like drop in the in-plane resistivity to an apparent state of superconductivity despite the lack of phase coherence between the layers. These observations raise interesting questions concerning the identification of the upper critical field, where pairing is destroyed, in underdoped cuprates.
X-Ray Diffraction Observations of a Charge-Density-Wave Order in Superconducting Ortho-II YBa2Cu3O6.54 Single Crystals in Zero Magnetic Field
E. Blackburn, J. Chang, M. Hücker, A. T. Holmes, N. B. Christensen, Ruixing Liang, D. A. Bonn, W. N. Hardy, U. Rütt, O. Gutowski, M. v. Zimmermann, E. M. Forgan, and S. M. Hayden (2013) Phys. Rev. Lett.. 110, p. 137004 Abstract
X-ray diffraction measurements show that the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6.54, with ortho-II oxygen order, has charge-density-wave order in the absence of an applied magnetic field. The dominant wave vector of the charge density wave is qCDW=(0,0.328(2),0.5), with the in-plane component parallel to the b axis (chain direction). It has a similar incommensurability to that observed in ortho-VIII and ortho-III samples, which have different dopings and oxygen orderings. Our results for ortho-II contrast with recent high-field NMR measurements, which suggest a commensurate wave vector along the a axis. We discuss the relationship between spin and charge correlations in YBa2Cu3Oy and recent high-field quantum oscillation, NMR, and ultrasound experiments.
Structural transitions in a doped lanthanum cuprate
S.-H. Baek, P. C. Hammel, M. Hücker, B. Büchner, U. Ammerahl, A. Revcolevschi, and B. J. Suh (2013) Phys. Rev. B. 87, p. 174505 Abstract
139La NMR and relaxation measurements have been performed on La1.8−xEu0.2SrxCuO4 (x=0.13 and 0.2) single crystals. The temperature dependence of the 139La NMR spectra in all the structural phases [high-temperature tetragonal (HTT) → low-temperature orthorhombic (LTO) → low-temperature tetragonal (LTT)] reveals the nonvanishing tilt angle of the CuO6 octahedra in the HTT phase, opposed to the case of La2−xSrxCuO4 where the tilt angle disappears immediately above the transition. Since 139La relaxation data provide evidence of the thermodynamic critical fluctuations associated with the structural phase transitions, HTT → LTO and LTO → LTT, we conclude that the structural transitions in Eu-doped La2−xSrxCuO4 should be of the order-disorder type rather than of the displacive type observed in La2−xSrxCuO4. The change of the nature of the structural transitions caused by doping with Eu appears to be consistent with the LTO → LTT transition that is absent in La2−xSrxCuO4.
Local structure, stripe pinning, and superconductivity in La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 at high pressure
G. Fabbris, M. Hücker, G. D. Gu, J. M. Tranquada, and D. Haskel (2013) Phys. Rev. B. 88, p. 060507(R) Abstract
The interplay between stripe correlations, local structure, and superconductivity in La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 is studied with concomitant polarized x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and x-ray diffraction measurements at high pressure. Long-range order of the CuO6 octahedral tilt pattern that pins charge-stripe order vanishes at a pressure-induced structural transition (P=1.8 GPa at T=5 K). Diffraction shows that static charge stripe and associated octahedral tilt correlations which survive in the high-pressure phase are effectively suppressed above 3.5 GPa. In contrast, XAFS analysis shows that instantaneous local correlations of the characteristic octahedral tilt pattern remain robust to at least 5 GPa. The decreasing local tilt angle is well correlated with a gradual increase in the superconducting transition temperature, suggesting that orientational pinning of charge correlations can survive the loss of static stripe order.
Enhanced charge stripe order of superconducting La2−xBaxCuO4 in a magnetic field
M. Hücker, M. v. Zimmermann, Z. J. Xu, J. S. Wen, G. D. Gu, and J. M. Tranquada (2013) Phys. Rev. B. 87, p. 014501 Abstract
The effect of a magnetic field on the charge stripe order in La2−xBaxCuO4 has been studied by means of high-energy (100 keV) x-ray diffraction for charge carrier concentrations ranging from strongly underdoped to optimally doped. We find that charge stripe order can be significantly enhanced by a magnetic field applied along the c axis, but only at temperatures and dopings where it coexists with bulk superconductivity at zero field. The field also increases stripe correlations between the planes, which can result in an enhanced frustration of the interlayer Josephson coupling. Close to the famous x=18 compound, where zero field stripe order is pronounced and bulk superconductivity is suppressed, charge stripe order is independent of a magnetic field. The results for La2−xBaxCuO4 resemble recent observations in YBa2Cu3O6+δ and, independent of potential differences in the microscopic origin of charge order in these two compounds, imply a very similar competition with three-dimensionally coherent superconductivity.

2012

Uniaxial linear resistivity of superconducting La _1.905Ba _0.095CuO ₄ induced by an external magnetic field
Wen J., Jie Q., Li Q., Hücker M., V. Zimmermann M., Han S. J., Xu Z., Singh D. K., Konik R. M., Zhang L., Gu G., Tranquada J. M. et al. (2012) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 85, 13, 134513. Abstract
We present an experimental study of the anisotropic resistivity of superconducting La _2-xBa _xCuO ₄ with x=0.095 and transition temperature T _c=32 K. In a magnetic field perpendicular to the CuO ₂ layers H _⊥, we observe that the resistivity perpendicular to the layers ρ _⊥ becomes finite at a temperature consistent with previous studies on very similar materials; however, the onset of finite parallel resistivity ρ _∥ occurs at a much higher temperature. This behavior contradicts conventional theory, which predicts that ρ _⊥ and ρ _∥ should become finite at the same temperature. Voltage versus current measurements near the threshold of voltage detectability indicate linear behavior perpendicular to the layers, becoming nonlinear at higher currents, while the behavior is nonlinear from the onset parallel to the layers. These results, in the presence of moderate H _⊥, appear consistent with superconducting order parallel to the layers with voltage fluctuations between the layers due to thermal noise. In search of uncommon effects that might help to explain this behavior, we have performed diffraction measurements that provide evidence for H _⊥-induced charge- and spin-stripe order. The field-induced decoupling of superconducting layers is similar to the decoupled phase observed previously in La _2-xBa _xCuO ₄ with x=1/8 in zero field.

[All authors]

2008

Large Bi-2212 single crystal growth by the floating-zone technique
Wen J. S., Xu Z. J., Xu G. Y., Hücker M., Tranquada J. M. & Gu G. D. (2008) Journal of Crystal Growth. 310, 7-9, p. 1401-1404 Abstract
Effects of growth velocity on the crystal-growth behavior of Bi₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O_x (Bi-2212) have been studied by the floating-zone technique. The results show that a necessary condition for obtaining large single crystals along the c-axis is that the solid-liquid interface of a growing rod maintains a stable planar growth front. The planar liquid-solid growth interface tends to break down into a cellular interface when the growth velocity is higher than 0.25 mm/h. Single crystals of up to 50×7.2×7 mm³ along the a-, b- and c-axes, respectively, have been cut from a 7.2 mm diameter rod obtained with optimum growth conditions. T_c^onset is 91 K as determined from magnetization measurements on as-grown crystals. Optical polarization microscopy and neutron diffraction show that the quality of the large single crystals is good.

2005

Weak ferromagnetic spin and charge stripe order in La5/3Sr1/3NiO4
Klingeler R., Büchner B., Cheong S. W. & Hücker M. (2005) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 72, 10, 104424. Abstract
We present magnetization and specific heat data of a La5/3Sr1/3NiO4 single crystal in high magnetic fields. From the charge and spin stripe ordering temperatures, as well as a magnetic low temperature transition, we have constructed the electronic phase diagram for fields up to 14Tesla. While the charge stripe ordering temperature TCO is independent of the magnetic field, there is a significant shift of the spin stripe ordering temperature TSO of about 1.5K/Tesla, if the magnetic fields are applied parallel to the NiO2-planes. The specific heat measurements indicate a large anomalous entropy change at TCO. In contrast, no significant entropy change is observed at the spin stripe transition. The high field magnetization experiments reveal the presence of in-plane weak ferromagnetic moments in the charge stripe ordered phase. From a phenomenological analysis, the magnetic correlation length of these moments is determined. We suggest that the weak ferromagnetism is due either to the presence of bond-centered charge stripes or to double exchange interactions across site-centered charge stripes.

2004

Oxygen and strontium codoping of La₂NiO₄: Room-temperature phase diagrams
Hücker M., Chung K., Chand M., Vogt T., Tranquada J. M. & Buttrey D. J. (2004) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 70, 6, p. 064105-1-064105-10 064105. Abstract
We present a detailed room-temperature x-ray powder diffraction study on La_2-xSr_xNiO_4+δ with 0≤x ≤0.12 and 0≤δ≥0.13. For x=0.02, 0,04, and 0.06 the oxygen content phase diagrams of the Sr-doped samples show a similar sequence of pure phases and miscibility gaps as for pure La₂NiO_4+δ. We find a weak Sr-doping dependence of the δ range for the pure low-temperature orthorhombic (LTO), low-temperature tetragonal, and high-temperature tetragonal (HTT) phases, but overall, the δ ranges of the different phases do not vary strongly for x≤0.06. Drastic changes are observed for x=0.08 and 0.12, where miscibility gaps successively disappear. For x=0.12 all oxygen-doped samples are in the HTT phase. The mechanism responsible for the suppression of the phase separation seems to involves multiple factors, including the Coulomb interaction between Sr impurities and interstitial oxygens as well as the reduction of the NiO₆ octahedral tilt angle. The doping dependence of the lattice parameters shows clear differences for pure Sr and pure O doping. With the exception of the LTO phase, the in-plane lattice parameters explicitly depend on the type of dopant, rather than the net hole content p=x + 2δ. In contrast, the orthorhombic strain in the LTO phase as well as the c-axis length appears to depend only on p, however, in the case of the c-axis length this "universal" behavior turns out to be coincidental. Our results also show that the chemical pressure of La-site dopants is highly anisotropic, whereas that of O interstitials appears to be more isotropic. In general, this study reveals that for an investigation of the intrinsic properties of La _2-xSr_xNiO₄ with x≲0.12, samples have to be annealed carefully to achieve δ=0, since already an excess oxygen content as small as δ=0.01 leads to phase separation.
Magnon-hole scattering and charge order in Sr_14-xCa _xCu₂₄O₄₁
Hess C., ElHaes H., Büchner B., Ammerahl U., Hücker M. & Revcolevschi A. (2004) Physical review letters. 93, 2, p. 027005-1-027005-4 027005. Abstract
The factors influencing magnon heat conductivity of the hole-doped spin ladders in Sr_14-xCa_xCu₂₄O₄₁ were analyzed. It was observed that the magnon heat conductivity was strongly affected by magnon-hole scattering. The anomalies of electronic transport was correlated with the drastic temperature and doping dependent changes. The results of the study show that charge ordering of the holes in the ladders lead to a freezing out of magnon-hole scattering processes.

2003

Local structure of La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄ determined by ⁶³Cu NMR spectroscopy and Van Vleck paramagnetism of Eu³⁺ ions
Simovič B., Hücker M., Hammel P. C., Büchner B., Ammerahl U. & Revcolevschi A. (2003) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 67, 22, Abstract
We investigate the local symmetry of the tilting of the CuO₆ octahedra in La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄ by means of ⁶³Cu NMR spectroscopy and the Van Vleck susceptibility of the Eu³⁺ ions. The lineshape of the Cu-NMR central line is sensitive to local structure through the coupling of the ⁶³Cu nuclear quadrupole moment to the local electric field gradient. The Eu³⁺ Van Vleck susceptibility, as a single ion effect, locally probes the symmetry of the crystal field at the Eu site. Both techniques independently provide clear evidence for a change of the local tilt symmetry at the first order structural transition from the orthorhombic to the low-temperature tetragonal phase, in excellent agreement with the average structure obtained by diffraction techniques. We conclude that the symmetry of the average crystal structure accurately represents the symmetry of the octahedral tilt pattern on a local scale.
Experimental evidence for a glass forming stripe liquid in the magnetic ground state of La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄
Simovič B., Hammel C., Hücker M., Büchner B. & Revcolevschi A. (2003) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 68, 1, Abstract
We report measurements of the longitudinal (¹³⁹T₁⁻¹) and transverse (¹³⁹T₂⁻¹) decay rates of the magnetization of 139La nuclei performed in a high quality single crystal of La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄. We observe a dramatic slowing of the Cu 3d spins manifested as a sharp increase of both ¹³⁹T₁⁻¹ and ¹³⁹T₂⁻¹ below 30 K. We find that in this temperature range the fluctuations involve a unique time scale τ which diverges as (T-T_A)^−1.9 with TA≈5 K. This behavior is distinct from the continuous freezing observed in underdoped La_1−xSr_xCuO₄, which involves a distribution of energy barriers. By contrast, in La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄, the freezing below 30 K is intrinsic to its magnetic ground state and the observed power law supports the existence of a glass forming \u201ccharge stripe liquid\u201d.

2000

Inhomogeneous low frequency spin dynamics in La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄
Curro N. J., Hammel P. C., Suh B. J., Hücker M., Büchner B., Ammerahl U. & Revcolevschi A. (2000) Physical review letters. 85, 3, p. 642-645 Abstract
The nuclear magnetic resonances of Cu and La are measured in the compound La_1.65Eu_0.2Sr_0.15CuO₄ to study the inhomogeneous glassy behavior of the spin dynamics. In La, a spin lattice relaxation rate with low temperature peak is observed. While in Cu, a wipeout intensity in the spin lattice relaxation rate arise from slow electronic spin fluctuations. These observation reveal a distribution of activation energies.
Thermodynamics of the low-temperature structural transition in rare-earth-doped
Werner R., Hücker M. & Büchner B. (2000) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 62, 6, p. 3704-3708 Abstract
The Sr concentration dependence of the structural transition from the orthorhombic into the tetragonal low- temperature phase in rare-earth-doped (Formula presented) has been studied in detail. Independently of the rare earth concentration the transition temperature is strongly reduced at (Formula presented) We give a qualitative argument that the effect can be attributed to the Coulomb repulsion between doped carriers. We find the enthalpy jump at the low-temperature transition to scale transition temperature between the high-temperature tetragonal and the orthorhombic phase. This effect can be understood in terms of a Landau expansion.
Spin dynamics in the low-temperature tetragonal phase of doped single crystal
Suh B., Hammel P., Hücker M., Büchner B., Ammerahl U. & Revcolevschi A. (2000) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 61, 14, p. R9265-R9268 Abstract
We present (Formula presented) and (Formula presented) NMR relaxation measurements in single crystal (Formula presented) A strong peak in the (Formula presented) spin-lattice relaxation rate observed in the spin ordered state is well described by the BPP mechanism [Bloembergen, Purcell, and Pound, Phys. Rev. 73, 679 (1948)] and arises from continuous slowing of electronic spin fluctuations with decreasing temperature; these spin fluctuations exhibit (Formula presented)-like anisotropy in the ordered state. The spin pseudogap is significantly enhanced by the static charge-stripe order in the LTT phase.

1999

Strong enhancement of spin fluctuations in the low-temperature tetragonal phase of antiferromagnetically ordered La_2-x-yEu_ySr_xCuO₄
Kataev V., Validov A., Hücker M., Berg H. & Büchner B. (1999) Journal of Physics Condensed Matter. 11, 34, p. 6571-6579 Abstract
Measurements of the static magnetization, susceptibility and electron spin resonance (ESR) of Gd spin probes have been performed to study the properties of antiferromagnetically ordered La_2-x-yEu_ySr_xCuO₄ (x≤0.02) with the low-temperature tetragonal structure. According to the static magnetic measurements, the CuO₂ planes are magnetically decoupled in this structural phase. The ESR study reveals strong magnetic fluctuations at the ESR frequency which are not present in the orthorhombic phase. It is argued that this drastic enhancement of the spin fluctuations is due to a considerable weakening of the interlayer exchange and a pronounced influence of hole motion on the antiferromagnetic properties of lightly hole-doped La₂CuO₄. No evidence for the stripe phase formation at small hole doping is obtained in the present study.

1998

Stripe correlations of spins and holes and phonon heat transport in doped La₂CuO₄
Baberski O., Lang A., Maldonado O., Hücker M., Büchner B. & Freimuth A. (1998) Europhysics Letters. 44, 3, p. 335-340 Abstract
We present experimental evidence for a dramatic suppression of the phononic thermal conductivity of rare-earth- and Sr-doped La₂CuO₄. Remarkably, this suppression correlates with the occurrence of superconductivity. Conventional models for the phonon heat transport fail to explain these results. In contrast, a straightforward explanation is possible in terms of static and dynamic stripe correlations of holes and spins.

1997

Slow antiferromagnetic dynamics in the low-temperature tetragonal phase as revealed by ESR of Gd spin probes
Kataev V., Rameev B., Büchner B., Hücker M. & Borowski R. (1997) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. 55, 6, p. R3394-R3397 Abstract
Measuring the electron spin resonance of Gd spin probes we have studied the magnetic properties of the copper oxide planes in the low-temperature tetragonal (LTT) phase of Eu-doped (Formula presented)(Formula presented)(Formula presented). The data give evidence that at particular levels of Sr and Eu doping the frequency of the antiferromagnetic fluctuations (Formula presented) in the LTT phase dramatically decreases at low temperatures by almost three orders of magnitude. However, no static magnetic order has been found for T⩾8 K, in contrast to the observation by neutron scattering of stripe ordering of spins below 50 K in a Nd-doped (Formula presented)(Formula presented)(Formula presented) single crystal. In our opinion, static order in the Nd-doped compound is induced due to the interaction between the Cu spins with the rare-earth magnetic moments. Therefore, a characteristic property of the magnetism in the LTT structural phase may not be static magnetic order at elevated temperatures but rather extremely slow antiferromagnetic dynamics.