Magnetoresistance and the spin-flop transition in single-crystal La sub 2 CuO sub 4+ y

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.41.231· OSTI ID:7008968

Thio, T; Chen, C Y; Freer, B S; Gabbe, D R; Jenssen, H P; Kastner, M A; Picone, P J; Preyer, N W ^[1]; Birgeneau, R J ^[2]

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1. Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (USA)
2. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (USA)

Measurements are reported of the magnetoresistance (MR) for fields up to 23 T in La{sub 2}CuO{sub 4} single crystals, which order antiferromagnetically at {ital T}{sub {ital N}}{similar to}240 K, and in which the conductivity at low temperature is characterized by hopping in localized states. Using the MR, the phase diagram of the spin-flop transition, observed when the magnetic field is applied parallel to the zero-field staggered magnetization, is mapped out. Two transitions of the background Cu{sup 2+} spins are observed, which are governed by the symmetric and antisymmetric anisotropic components of the superexchange tensor. The antiferromagnetic propagation vector changes from {tau}{parallel}a at zero field to {tau}{parallel}c at the highest fields. This subtle change in the ordering of the Cu{sup 2+} spins is accompanied by a large enhancement of the interlayer hopping conductivity up to a factor 2. We show that the magnetoconductance is proportional to the three-dimensional staggered moment with {tau}{parallel}c direction. In an appendix we discuss the possible relevance of these results to the behavior of superconducting La{sub 2{minus}{ital x}}(Sr,Ba){sub {ital x}}CuO{sub 4}.

• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 7008968
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Journal Name: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA) Vol. 41:1; ISSN 0163-1829; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360204* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Physical Properties
ANISOTROPY
ANTIFERROMAGNETISM
COPPER COMPOUNDS
CRYSTALS
CUPRATES
DIAGRAMS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LOW TEMPERATURE
MAGNETISM
MAGNETORESISTANCE
MONOCRYSTALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHASE DIAGRAMS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SPIN FLIP
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS