Inhomogeneity of charge density wave order and quenched disorder in a high Tc superconductor

It has recently been established that the high temperature (high-Tc) superconducting state coexists with short-range charge-density-wave order and quenched disorder arising from dopants and strain. This complex, multiscale phase separation invites the development of theories of high temperature supe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2015-09
Main Authors: Campi, G, Bianconi, A, Poccia, N, Bianconi, G, Barba, L, Arrighetti, G, Innocenti, D, Karpinski, J, Zhigadlo, N D, Kazakov, S M, Burghammer, M, Zimmermann, M v, Sprung, M, Ricci, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Charge density waves
Complexity
Critical point
Domains
Dopants
High temperature
Inhomogeneity
Interstitials
Phase separation
Quenching
Size distribution
Spatial distribution
Superconductivity
Wave diffraction
X ray imagery
X-ray diffraction
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Summary:It has recently been established that the high temperature (high-Tc) superconducting state coexists with short-range charge-density-wave order and quenched disorder arising from dopants and strain. This complex, multiscale phase separation invites the development of theories of high temperature superconductivity that include complexity. The nature of the spatial interplay between charge and dopant order that provides a basis for nanoscale phase separation remains a key open question, because experiments have yet to probe the unknown spatial distribution at both the nanoscale and mescoscale (between atomic and macroscopic scale). Here we report micro X-ray diffraction imaging of the spatial distribution of both the charge-density-wave puddles (domains with only a few wavelengths) and quenched disorder in HgBa2CuO4+y, the single layer cuprate with the highest Tc, 95 kelvin. We found that the charge-density-wave puddles, like the steam bubbles in boiling water, have a fat-tailed size distribution that is typical of self-organization near a critical point. However, the quenched disorder, which arises from oxygen interstitials, has a distribution that is contrary to the usual assumed random, uncorrelated distribution. The interstitials-oxygen-rich domains are spatially anti-correlated with the charge-density-wave domains, leading to a complex emergent geometry of the spatial landscape for superconductivity.
ISSN:2331-8422
DOI:10.48550/arxiv.1509.05002