Charge-transfer excitations in the model superconductor HgBa(2)CuO(4+delta)

A high-energy-resolution resonant inelastic X-ray scattering spectrometer at ID20 of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility

An end-station for resonant inelastic X-ray scattering and (resonant) X-ray emission spectroscopy at beamline ID20 of ESRF - The European Synchrotron is presented. The spectrometer hosts five crystal analysers in Rowland geometry for large solid angle collection and is mounted on a rotatable arm for scattering in both the horizontal and vertical planes. The spectrometer is optimized for high-energy-resolution applications, including partial fluorescence yield or high-energy-resolution fluorescence detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy and the study of elementary electronic excitations in solids. In addition, it can be used for non-resonant inelastic X-ray scattering measurements of valence electron excitations.

Doping-dependent photon scattering resonance in the model high-temperature superconductor HgBa2CuO4+δ revealed by Raman scattering and optical ellipsometry

We study the model high-temperature superconductor HgBa(2)CuO(4+δ) with electronic Raman scattering and optical ellipsometry over a wide doping range. The dependence of the resonant Raman cross section on the incident photon energy changes drastically as a function of doping, in a manner that corresponds to a rearrangement of the interband optical transitions seen with ellipsometry. This doping-dependent Raman resonance allows us to reconcile the apparent discrepancy between Raman and x-ray detection of magnetic fluctuations in superconducting cuprates. Intriguingly, the strongest variation occurs across the doping level where the antinodal superconducting gap appears to reach its maximum.

Unraveling the nature of charge excitations in La₂CuO₄ with momentum-resolved Cu K-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

The results of model calculations using exact diagonalization reveal the orbital character of states associated with different Raman loss peaks in Cu K-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) from La₂CuO₄. The model includes electronic orbitals necessary to highlight the nonlocal Zhang-Rice singlet, charge transfer, and d-d excitations, as well as states with apical oxygen 2p(z) character. The dispersion of these excitations is discussed with prospects for resonant final state wave-function mapping. A good agreement with experiments emphasizes the substantial multiorbital character of RIXS profiles in the energy transfer range 1-6 eV.

Charge excitations in cuprate and nickelate in resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

We analyze the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra at the Cu and Ni K-edges in La(2)CuO(4) and La(2)NiO(4), respectively. We make use of the Keldysh-Green function formalism, in which the RIXS intensity is described by a product of the incident-photon-dependent factor and the density-density correlation function in the 3d states. The former factor is calculated using the 4p density of states given by an ab initio band structure calculation and the latter using the wavefunctions given by a Hartree-Fock calculation of a multiorbital tight-binding model. The initial state is described within the Hartree-Fock approximation and the electron correlations on charge excitations are treated within the random phase approximation. The calculated RIXS spectra reproduce well several characteristic features in the experiments. Although several groups have interpreted the RIXS peaks as bound excitons, our calculation indicates that they should be interpreted as band-to-band excitations augmented by electron correlations. The difference in RIXS spectra between La(2)CuO(4) and La(2)NiO(4) is explained from this point of view.

Collapse of the magnetic gap of cuprate superconductors within a three-band model of resonant inelastic x-ray scattering

We present a three-band Hubbard Hamiltonian and the associated Cu Kappa-edge resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra for electron- and hole-doped cuprates over a wide range of energy and momentum transfers. By comparing computed spectra for the unfilled case with the corresponding results for 15% electron or hole doping at two different values of the effective Hubbard parameter , generic signatures of the collapse of the magnetic gap and the characteristic momentum dependencies and evolution of the spectra with doping are identified. Available RIXS data support the gap collapse scenario for electron-doped cuprates, but the situation in hole-doped systems is found to be less clear.