Signatures of pair-density wave order via phase sensitive measurement of La2−xBaxCuO4 and La2-x-yEuySrxCuO4 SQUIDs and Josephson junctions

ORAL

Abstract

La2−xBaxCuO4 (LBCO) exhibits a sharp drop in the transition temperature near x=1/8 doping, which coincides with charge order, spin order and the suppression of interlayer coupling between its CuO2 planes. In this regime, charge, spin and superconducting orders are predicted to be intertwined into a pair-density wave (PDW) state, an ordered stripe phase characterized by sign changes in the superconducting order parameter between adjacent stripes. We present Josephson interferometry measurements of asymmetric SQUIDs incorporating crystals of LBCO at x=1/8 doping, from which we can extract the current-phase relation (CPR). We see features which are suggestive of a cancellation of the first-order Josephson tunneling and the onset of higher harmonics in the CPR, a signature of a pair-density wave state. We compare this data to measurements of LBCO devices at other dopings, as well as devices fabricated onto the striped material La2-x-yEuySrxCuO4 (LESCO), another candidate for the formation of a PDW-state.

Presenters

  • David Hamilton

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana

Authors

  • David Hamilton

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana

  • Kevin Ryan

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana

  • Thomas Johnson

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana, Department of Physics, University of Illinois

  • Genda Gu

    Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven National Labs, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter Physics and Material Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Condensed Matter &materials Science, Brookhaven Natl Lab, Brookhaven Natl Lab, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven Natl. Lab, Brookhaven National Lab, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, brookhaven national laboratory

  • Greg MacDougall

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Dale Van Harlingen

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  • Alexander Zakrzewski

    Univ of Illinois - Urbana, Department of Physics, University of Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign