Anomalous density fluctuations in a strange metal
Abstract
A central mystery in high-temperature superconductivity is the origin of the so-called strange metal (i.e., the anomalous conductor from which superconductivity emerges at low temperature). Measuring the dynamic charge response of the copper oxides, χ"(q,ω), would directly reveal the collective properties of the strange metal, but it has never been possible to measure this quantity with millielectronvolt resolution. Here, we present a measurement of χ"(q,ω) for a cuprate, optimally doped Bi2.1Sr1.9CaCu2O8+x (Tc = 91 K), using momentum-resolved inelastic electron scattering. In the medium energy range 0.1–2 eV relevant to the strange metal, the spectra are dominated by a featureless, temperature- and momentum-independent continuum persisting to the electronvolt energy scale. This continuum displays a simple power-law form, exhibiting q2 behavior at low energy and q2/ω2 behavior at high energy. Measurements of an overdoped crystal (Tc = 50 K) showed the emergence of a gap-like feature at low temperature, indicating deviation from power law form outside the strange-metal regime. In conclusion, our study suggests the strange metal exhibits a new type of charge dynamics in which excitations are local to such a degree that space and time axes are decoupled.
- Authors:
-
- Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,, Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801,
- Institute for the Theory of Condensed Matter, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany,
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73069,
- Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Emergent Superconductivity (CES); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1438288
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1462403
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-207872-2018-JAAM
Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-98CH10886; SC0012704; GBMF4542; DMR-1352604
- Resource Type:
- Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Volume: 115 Journal Issue: 21; Journal ID: ISSN 0027-8424
- Publisher:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; non-Fermi liquid; strange metal; cuprates; quantum criticality; electron energy-loss spectroscopy
Citation Formats
Mitrano, M., Husain, A. A., Vig, S., Kogar, A., Rak, M. S., Rubeck, S. I., Schmalian, J., Uchoa, B., Schneeloch, J., Zhong, R., Gu, G. D., and Abbamonte, P. Anomalous density fluctuations in a strange metal. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1073/pnas.1721495115.
Mitrano, M., Husain, A. A., Vig, S., Kogar, A., Rak, M. S., Rubeck, S. I., Schmalian, J., Uchoa, B., Schneeloch, J., Zhong, R., Gu, G. D., & Abbamonte, P. Anomalous density fluctuations in a strange metal. United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721495115
Mitrano, M., Husain, A. A., Vig, S., Kogar, A., Rak, M. S., Rubeck, S. I., Schmalian, J., Uchoa, B., Schneeloch, J., Zhong, R., Gu, G. D., and Abbamonte, P. Mon .
"Anomalous density fluctuations in a strange metal". United States. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721495115.
@article{osti_1438288,
title = {Anomalous density fluctuations in a strange metal},
author = {Mitrano, M. and Husain, A. A. and Vig, S. and Kogar, A. and Rak, M. S. and Rubeck, S. I. and Schmalian, J. and Uchoa, B. and Schneeloch, J. and Zhong, R. and Gu, G. D. and Abbamonte, P.},
abstractNote = {A central mystery in high-temperature superconductivity is the origin of the so-called strange metal (i.e., the anomalous conductor from which superconductivity emerges at low temperature). Measuring the dynamic charge response of the copper oxides, χ"(q,ω), would directly reveal the collective properties of the strange metal, but it has never been possible to measure this quantity with millielectronvolt resolution. Here, we present a measurement of χ"(q,ω) for a cuprate, optimally doped Bi2.1Sr1.9CaCu2O8+x (Tc = 91 K), using momentum-resolved inelastic electron scattering. In the medium energy range 0.1–2 eV relevant to the strange metal, the spectra are dominated by a featureless, temperature- and momentum-independent continuum persisting to the electronvolt energy scale. This continuum displays a simple power-law form, exhibiting q2 behavior at low energy and q2/ω2 behavior at high energy. Measurements of an overdoped crystal (Tc = 50 K) showed the emergence of a gap-like feature at low temperature, indicating deviation from power law form outside the strange-metal regime. In conclusion, our study suggests the strange metal exhibits a new type of charge dynamics in which excitations are local to such a degree that space and time axes are decoupled.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1721495115},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
number = 21,
volume = 115,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon May 07 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1721495115
Web of Science
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