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Title: Nanoscale structural correlations in a model cuprate superconductor

Journal Article · · Physical Review. B
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [4]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
  2. Univ. of Zagreb (Croatia)
  3. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  5. Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States); Univ. of Zagreb (Croatia)

Understanding the extent and role of inhomogeneity is a pivotal challenge in the physics of cuprate superconductors. While it is known that structural and electronic inhomogeneity is prevalent in the cuprates, it has proven difficult to disentangle compound-specific features from universally relevant effects. Here, in this study, we combine advanced neutron and x-ray diffuse scattering with numerical modeling to obtain insight into bulk structural correlations in HgBa2⁢ CuO4+δ. This cuprate exhibits a high optimal transition temperature of nearly 100 K, pristine charge-transport behavior, and a simple average crystal structure without long-range structural instabilities, and is therefore uniquely suited for investigations of intrinsic inhomogeneity. We uncover diffuse reciprocal-space patterns that correspond to prominent nanoscale correlations of atomic displacements perpendicular to the CuO2 planes. The real-space nature of the correlations is revealed through three-dimensional pair distribution function analysis and complementary numerical refinement. We find that relative displacements of ionic and CuO2 layers play a crucial role, and that the structural inhomogeneity is not directly caused by the presence of conventional point defects. The observed correlations are therefore intrinsic to HgBa2⁢ CuO4+δ, and thus likely important for the physics of cuprates more broadly. It is possible that the structural correlations are closely related to the unusual superconducting fluctuations and Mott-localization in these complex oxides. As advances in scattering techniques yield increasingly comprehensive data, the experimental and analysis tools developed here for large volumes of diffuse scattering data can be expected to aid future investigations of a wide range of materials.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Materials Sciences & Engineering Division (MSE); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF); Croatian Science Foundation (HRZZ)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0016371; AC02-06CH11357; AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
2491437
Journal Information:
Physical Review. B, Journal Name: Physical Review. B Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 110; ISSN 2469-9950
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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