Polar Kerr Effect Measurements of YBa_2Cu_3O_6+x: Evidence for Broken Symmetry Near the Pseudogap Temperature

Journal Article · Wed Aug 24 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Submitted to Physical Review Letters

OSTI ID:1023231

Xia, Jing

Polar Kerr effect in the high-Tc superconductor YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 6+x} was measured at zero magnetic field with high precision using a cyogenic Sagnac fiber interferometer. We observed non-zero Kerr rotations of order {approx} 1 {micro}rad appearing near the pseudogap temperature T*, and marking what appears to be a true phase transition. Anomalous magnetic behavior in magnetic-field training of the effect suggests that time reversal symmetry is already broken above room temperature.

• Research Organization: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 1023231
• Report Number(s): SLAC-PUB-13976; TRN: US201118%%519
• Journal Information: Submitted to Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Submitted to Physical Review Letters
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ACCURACY
FIBERS
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
KERR EFFECT
MAGNETIC FIELDS
SYMMETRY
TRAINING
MATSCI