Three-dimensional charge density wave order in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.67 at high magnetic fields

• DOI: 10.1126/science.aac6257
• Publication Date: 2015-11-06T03:54:35Z
• Authors: S. Gerber; H. Jang; H. Nojiri; S. Matsuzawa; H. Yasumura; D. A. Bonn; R. Liang; W. N. Hardy; Z. Islam; A. Mehta; S. Song; M. Sikorski; D. Stefanescu; Y. Feng; S. A. Kivelson; T. P. Devereaux; Z.-X. Shen; C.-C. Kao; W.-S. Lee; D. Zhu; J.-S. Lee
• Keywords: Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con); Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons; Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el); Condensed Matter - Superconductivity; FOS: Physical sciences

Discerning charge patterns in a cuprate

Copper oxides are well known to be able to achieve the order required for superconductivity. They can also achieve another order—one that produces patterns in their charge density. Experiments using nuclear magnetic resonanceand resonant x-ray scattering have both detected this so-called charge density wave (CDW) in yttrium-based cuprates. However, the nature of the CDW appeared to be different in the two types of measurement. Gerber et al. used pulsed magnetic fields of up to 28 T, combined with scattering, to bridge the gap (see the Perspective by Julien). As the magnetic field increased, a two-dimensional CDW gave way to a three-dimensional one.

Science , this issue p. 949 ; see also p. 914