Bozin ES, Kwei GH, Takagi H, Billinge SJ. Neutron diffraction evidence of microscopic charge inhomogeneities in the CuO2 plane of superconducting La2-xSrxCuO4 (0<or=x<or=0. 30).
PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2000;
84:5856-5859. [PMID:
10991072 DOI:
10.1103/physrevlett.84.5856]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/1999] [Revised: 03/08/2000] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution atomic pair distribution functions have been obtained using neutron powder diffraction data from La2-xSrxCuO4 over the range of doping 0<or=x<or=0.30 at 10 K. Despite the average structure getting less orthorhombic, we see a broadening of the in-plane Cu-O bond distribution as a function of doping up to optimal doping. Thereafter the peak abruptly sharpens. The peak broadening can be well explained by a local microscopic coexistence of doped and undoped material. This suggests a crossover from a charge inhomogeneous state at and below optimal doping to a homogeneous charge state above optimal doping.
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