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Angle dependence of quantum oscillations in YBa2Cu3O6.59 shows free-spin behaviour of quasiparticles

Nature Physics volume 7, pages 234–238 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Measurements of quantum oscillations in the cuprate superconductors afford an opportunity to assess the extent to which their electronic properties yield to a description rooted in Fermi-liquid theory. However, such an analysis is hampered by the small number of oscillatory periods observed in the accessible magnetic field range. Here we employ a genetic algorithm to globally model the field, angular and temperature dependence of the quantum oscillations observed in the resistivity of YBa2Cu3O6.59. This approach successfully fits an entire data set to a Fermi surface consisting of two small, quasi-two-dimensional cylinders, rather than the large Fermi surface predicted by conventional electronic-structure calculations. A key result is the first identification of the effects of Zeeman splitting, indicating that the quasiparticles behave as nearly free spins, constraining the source of the Fermi-surface reconstruction to something other than a spin-density wave with moments perpendicular to the magnetic field.

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Figure 1: Field dependence of the -axis resistance of YBa2Cu3O6.59.
Figure 2: Fits to the angle and temperature dependence of the oscillatory component.
Figure 3: Oscillatory amplitude as a function of angle from the  axis.
Figure 4: Oscillatory component versus angle and field.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank S. Julian, A. Mackenzie, R. Ramazashvili, L. Taillefer, S. Kivelson, S. Sebastian, G. Lonzarich, M. Berciu, S. Sachdev, S. Chakravarty, P. C. E Stamp, L. Thompson and M. Norman for many conversations. Research support was provided by the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council, the French Agence Nationale pour la Recherche DELICE and Euromagnet II.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z1, Canada

    B. J. Ramshaw, James Day, Ruixing Liang, W. N. Hardy & D. A. Bonn

  2. Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Intenses, UPR 3228, CNRS-INSA-UJF-UPS, Toulouse, France

    Baptiste Vignolle & Cyril Proust

  3. Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Toronto, M5G 1Z8, Canada

    Ruixing Liang, W. N. Hardy, Cyril Proust & D. A. Bonn

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  1. B. J. Ramshaw
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  2. Baptiste Vignolle
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  3. James Day
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  4. Ruixing Liang
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  7. D. A. Bonn
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Contributions

B.J.R., B.V., J.D. and C.P. made the high-field resistivity measurements at the Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Intenses in Toulouse, France; B.J.R. carried out the data analysis; B.J.R., R.L., W.N.H. and D.A.B. prepared the samples at the University of British Columbia (crystal growth, annealing, de-twinning and contacts); B.J.R. and D.A.B. wrote the manuscript and D.A.B. supervised the project.

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Correspondence to D. A. Bonn.

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Ramshaw, B., Vignolle, B., Day, J. et al. Angle dependence of quantum oscillations in YBa2Cu3O6.59 shows free-spin behaviour of quasiparticles. Nature Phys 7, 234–238 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1873

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