No Arabic abstract
Ordering process of stripe order in La{2-x}Sr{x}NiO{4} with x being around 1/3 was investigated by neutron diffraction experiments. When the stripe order is formed at high temperature, incommensurability epsilon of the stripe order has a tendency to show the value close to 1/3 for the samples with x at both sides of 1/3. With decreasing temperature, however, epsilon becomes close to the value determined by the linear relation of epsilon = n_h, where n_h is a hole concentration. This variation of the epsilon strongly affects the character of the stripe order through the change of the carrier densities in stripes and antiferromagnetic domains.
We investigate the optical properties of the normal state of the infinite-layer La$_{1-x}$Sr$_x$NiO$_2$ using DFT+DMFT. We find a correlated metal which exhibits substantial transfer of spectral weight to high energies relative to the density functional theory. The correlations are not due to Mott physics, which would suppress the charge fluctuations and integrated optical spectral weight as we approach a putative insulating state. Instead we find the unusual situation, that the integrated optical spectral weight {it decreases} with doping and {it increases } with increasing temperature. We contrast this with the coherent component of the optical conductivity, which {it decreases} with increasing temperature as a result of a coherence$-$incoherence crossover. Our optical studies support a picture of a Hunds metallic state, where dynamical orbital fluctuations are visible at intermediate energies, even if at low energies the Fermi surface has primarily $d_{x^2 - y^2}$ character and we propose a low-energy two-band model with atom centered $e_g$ states.
The magnetic excitation spectrums of charge stripe ordered La(2-x)Sr(x)NiO(4) x = 0.45 and x = 0.4 were studied by inelastic neutron scattering. We found the magnetic excitation spectrum of x = 0.45 from the ordered Ni^2+ S = 1 spins to match that of checkerboard charge ordered La(1.5)Sr(0.5)NiO(4). The distinctive asymmetry in the magnetic excitations above 40 meV was observed for both doping levels, but an additional ferromagnetic mode was observed in x = 0.45 and not in the x = 0.4. We discuss the origin of crossover in the excitation spectrum between x = 0.45 and x = 0.4 with respect to discommensurations in the charge stripe structure.
We report detailed systematic measurements of the spatial variation in electronic states in the high T{c} superconductor La{2-x}Sr{x}CuO{4} (0.04<= x <= 0.16) using {63}Cu NQR for {63}Cu isotope enriched poly-crystalline samples. We demonstrate that the spatial variation in local hole concentration {63}x{local} given by {63}x{local} = x +/- {63}Dx{local}, where x is the nominal hole concentration and {63}Dx{local} is defined as the amplitude (or extent) of the spatial variation, is reflected in the frequency dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation rate {63}1/T{1} across the inhomogeneous linebroadening of the {63}Cu NQR spectrum. By using high precision measurements of the temperature dependence of {63}1/T_{1} at various positions across the {63}Cu NQR lineshape, we demonstrate that {63}Dx{local} increases below 500 - 600 K and reaches values as large as {63}Dx{local} / x ~ 0.5 in the temperature region > 150 K. By incorporating the random positioning of {+2}Sr donor ions in the lattice in a novel approach, a lower bound to the length scale of the spatial variation {63}R{patch} is deduced by fitting the entire {63}Cu NQR spectrum (including the ``B -line) using a patch-by-patch distribution of the spatial variation {63}x{local} with the patch radius {63}R_{patch} > 3.0 nm as the only free parameter. A corresponding upper bound to the amplitude of the spatial variation {63}Dx{patch} (~ 1/{63}R_{patch}) is deduced within the model, and consistent results are found with {63}Dx{local} . We also deduce the onset temperature T{Q} (> 400 K) for local orthorhombic lattice distortions which, in the region x > 0.04, is found to be larger than the onset temperature of long range structural order.
We find excitations lower in energy than known phonon modes in underdoped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_{4+delta}$ (x=0.08), with both inelastic X-Ray scattering (IXS) and inelastic neutron scattering (INS). A non dispersive excitation at 9 meV is identified and is also seen by INS in (La,Nd)$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_{4+delta}$, with 40$%$ Nd substitution. INS also identifies a still lower energy dispersive mode at low q in the Nd free sample. These modes are clearly distinct from the longitudinal acoustic phonon and correspond in energy to the Zone Centre modes measured by optical spectroscopy and associated with stripe dynamics.
We demonstrate that one can measure the charge-stripe order parameter in the hole-doped CuO(2) planes of La(1.875)Ba(0.125)CuO(4), La(1.48)Nd(0.4)Sr(0.12)CuO(4) and La(1.68)Eu(0.2)Sr(0.12)CuO(4) utilizing the wipeout effects of Cu-63 NQR. Application of the same approach to La(2-x)Sr(x)CuO(4) reveals the presence of similar stripe order for the entire underdoped superconducting regime 1/16 < x < 1/8.