Enhanced charge density wave coherence in a light-quenched, high-temperature superconductor

• DOI: 10.1126/science.abd7213
• Publication Date: 2022-05-19T17:57:48Z
• Authors: S. Wandel; F. Boschini; E. H. da Silva Neto; L. Shen; M. X. Na; S. Zohar; Y. Wang; S. B. Welch; M. H. Seaberg; J. D. Koralek; G. L. Dakovski; W. Hettel; M.-F. Lin; S. P. Moeller; W. F. Schlotter; A. H. Reid; M. P. Minitti; T. Boyle; F. He; R. Sutarto; R. Liang; D. Bonn; W. Hardy; R. A. Kaindl; D. G. Hawthorn; J.-S. Lee; A. F. Kemper; A. Damascelli; C. Giannetti; J. J. Turner; G. Coslovich
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics; Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el); General Science & Technology; superconductivity; charge density wave; Condensed Matter - Superconductivity; 500; FOS: Physical sciences; Condensed Matter Physics; 530; Superconductivity (cond-mat.supr-con); Condensed Matter - Strongly Correlated Electrons; 03 medical and health sciences; copper oxides; Physical Sciences; Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)

Superconductivity and charge density waves (CDWs) are competitive, yet coexisting, orders in cuprate superconductors. To understand their microscopic interdependence, a probe capable of discerning their interaction on its natural length and time scale is necessary. We use ultrafast resonant soft x-ray scattering to track the transient evolution of CDW correlations in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+

x

after the quench of superconductivity by an infrared laser pulse. We observe a nonthermal response of the CDW order characterized by a near doubling of the correlation length within ≈1 picosecond of the superconducting quench. Our results are consistent with a model in which the interaction between superconductivity and CDWs manifests inhomogeneously through disruption of spatial coherence, with superconductivity playing the dominant role in stabilizing CDW topological defects, such as discommensurations.