Charge Order Driven by Fermi-Arc Instability in Bi 2 Sr 2− x La x CuO 6+δ

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2014-01, Vol.343 (6169), p.390-392
• Main Authors: Comin, R., Frano, A., Yee, M. M., Yoshida, Y., Eisaki, H., Schierle, E., Weschke, E., Sutarto, R., He, F., Soumyanarayanan, A., He, Yang, Le Tacon, M., Elfimov, I. S., Hoffman, Jennifer E., Sawatzky, G. A., Keimer, B., Damascelli, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1242996

The understanding of the origin of superconductivity in cuprates has been hindered by the apparent diversity of intertwining electronic orders in these materials. We combined resonant x-ray scattering (REXS), scanning-tunneling microscopy (STM), and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) to observe a charge order that appears consistently in surface and bulk, and in momentum and real space within one cuprate family, Bi   2 Sr   2 − x La   x CuO   6 + δ . The observed wave vectors rule out simple antinodal nesting in the single-particle limit but match well with a phenomenological model of a many-body instability of the Fermi arcs. Combined with earlier observations of electronic order in other cuprate families, these findings suggest the existence of a generic charge-ordered state in underdoped cuprates and uncover its intimate connection to the pseudogap regime. Surface and bulk measurements in bismuth-based cuprates agree and indicate a short-range charge order. [Also see Perspective by Morr ] Copper-oxide superconductors have a complex electronic structure. A charge density order has been observed in two cuprate families; however, it has been unclear whether such an order exists in Bi-based compounds (see the Perspective by Morr ). Comin et al. (p. 390 , published online 19 December) and da Silva Neto et al. (p. 393 , published online 19 December) address this question in single-layer and double-layer Bibased cuprates, respectively. For both families of materials, surface measurements by scanning tunneling spectroscopy agree with bulk measurements obtained through resonant elastic x-ray scattering, which suggests the formation of short-range correlations that modulate the charge density of the carriers over a range of dopings. Thus, charge ordering may represent a common characteristic of the major cuprate families.