Electronically competing phases and their magnetic field dependence in electron-doped nonsuperconducting and superconducting Pr{sub 0.88}LaCe{sub 0.12}CuO{sub 4{+-}}{sub {delta}}

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.214512· OSTI ID:20719040

Kang, H J; Pengcheng, Dai; Mook, H A; Argyriou, D N; Sikolenko, V; Lynn, J W; Kurita, Y; Komiya, Seiki; Ando, Yoichi ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1200 (United States)

We present comprehensive neutron scattering studies of nonsuperconducting and superconducting electron-doped Pr{sub 0.88}LaCe{sub 0.12}CuO{sub 4{+-}}{sub {delta}} (PLCCO). At zero field, the transition from antiferromagnetic (AF) as-grown PLCCO to superconductivity without static antiferromagnetism can be achieved by annealing the sample in pure Ar at different temperatures, which also induces an epitaxial (Pr,La,Ce){sub 2}O{sub 3} phase as an impurity. When the superconductivity first appears in PLCCO, a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) spin-density-wave (SDW) order is also induced, and both coexist with the residual three-dimensional (3D) AF state. A magnetic field applied along the [1,1,0] direction parallel to the CuO{sub 2} plane induces a 'spin-flop' transition, where the noncollinear AF spin structure of PLCCO is transformed into a collinear one. The spin-flop transition is continuous in semiconducting PLCCO, but gradually becomes sharp with increasing doping and the appearance of superconductivity. A c-axis aligned magnetic field that suppresses the superconductivity also enhances the quasi-2D SDW order at (0.5,0.5,0) for underdoped PLCCO. However, there is no effect on the 3D AF order in either superconducting or nonsuperconducting samples. Since the same field along the [1,1,0] direction in the CuO{sub 2} plane has no (or little) effect on the superconductivity (0.5,0.5,0) and (Pr,La,Ce){sub 2}O{sub 3} impurity positions, we conclude that the c-axis field-induced effect is intrinsic to PLCCO and arises from the suppression of superconductivity.

• OSTI ID: 20719040
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 71, Issue 21; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.71.214512; (c) 2005 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANNEALING
ANTIFERROMAGNETIC MATERIALS
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
CERIUM COMPOUNDS
COPPER OXIDES
CUPRATES
DENSITY
DOPED MATERIALS
ELECTRONS
EPITAXY
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
PRASEODYMIUM COMPOUNDS
SPIN
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY