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Hidden magnetic excitation in the pseudogap phase of a high-Tc superconductor

Nature volume 468, pages 283–285 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

The elucidation of the pseudogap phenomenon of the high-transition-temperature (high-Tc) copper oxides—a set of anomalous physical properties below the characteristic temperature T* and above Tc—has been a major challenge in condensed matter physics for the past two decades1. Following initial indications of broken time-reversal symmetry in photoemission experiments2, recent polarized neutron diffraction work demonstrated the universal existence of an unusual magnetic order below T* (refs 3, 4). These findings have the profound implication that the pseudogap regime constitutes a genuine new phase of matter rather than a mere crossover phenomenon. They are furthermore consistent with a particular type of order involving circulating orbital currents, and with the notion that the phase diagram is controlled by a quantum critical point5. Here we report inelastic neutron scattering results for HgBa2CuO4+δ that reveal a fundamental collective magnetic mode associated with the unusual order, and which further support this picture. The mode’s intensity rises below the same temperature T* and its dispersion is weak, as expected for an Ising-like order parameter6. Its energy of 52–56 meV renders it a new candidate for the hitherto unexplained ubiquitous electron–boson coupling features observed in spectroscopic studies7,8,9,10.

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Figure 1: Identification of a weakly dispersing magnetic collective mode.
Figure 2: Presence of the collective mode throughout the entire 2D Brillouin zone.
Figure 3: Temperature dependence of the collective mode demonstrates its connection to the pseudogap phenomenon.

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Acknowledgements

We thank T. H. Geballe, S. A. Kivelson, E. M. Motoyama and C. M. Varma for discussions. This work was supported by the US Department of Energy and the US National Science Foundation, and by the National Natural Science Foundation, China. Y.L. acknowledges support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation during the final stage of completing the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Yuan Li & N. Barišić

    Present address: Present addresses: Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany (Y.L.); Institute of Physics, Bijenicka cesta 46, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia (N.B.).,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, California, USA

    Yuan Li

  2. Laboratoire Léon Brillouin, CEA-CNRS, CEA-Saclay, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, France ,

    V. Balédent, Y. Sidis & P. Bourges

  3. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, 55455, Minnesota, USA

    G. Yu & M. Greven

  4. T.H. Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, California, USA

    N. Barišić & X. Zhao

  5. 1. Physikalisches Institut, Universität Stuttgart, 70550 Stuttgart, Germany ,

    N. Barišić

  6. Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Universität Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany ,

    K. Hradil

  7. Forschungsneutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz, 85747 Garching, Germany ,

    R. A. Mole

  8. Institut Laue Langevin, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

    P. Steffens

  9. State Key Laboratory of Inorganic Synthesis and Preparative Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China ,

    X. Zhao

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Contributions

M.G., P.B. and Y.L. planned the project. Y.L., V.B. and G.Y. performed the neutron scattering experiments. Y.L., N.B. and X.Z. characterized and prepared the samples. N.B. performed the resistivity measurements. P.S., R.A.M., K.H., Y.S. and P.B. were local contacts for the neutron scattering experiments. Y.L. and M.G. analysed the data and wrote the manuscript.

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Correspondence to M. Greven.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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This file contains a Supplementary Discussion in 9 sections, Supplementary Data, additional references and Supplementary Figures 1-8 with legends. (PDF 6567 kb)

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Li, Y., Balédent, V., Yu, G. et al. Hidden magnetic excitation in the pseudogap phase of a high-Tc superconductor. Nature 468, 283–285 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09477

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