Broken in-plane rotational symmetry in the hidden order phase of Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4

ORAL

Abstract

The layered 5d transition metal oxide Sr2IrO4 hosts a Jeff =1/2 antiferromagnetic Mott insulating state, which strikingly resembles to the parent state of high-Tc cuprate superconductors. Recently, great interest has been aroused in the series of Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4, especially on the proposed hidden order phase above the antiferromagnetic ordering, which has been highlighted by optical second-harmonic generation and polarized neutron diffraction experiments [1, 2]. Here, by using exceptionally precise in-plane torque magnetometry [3-5], we provide thermodynamic evidence that nematicity, a spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry of the underlying lattice, develops well above the antiferromagnetic transition in pure and doped Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4. Our highly sensitive magnetic anisotropy measurements under in-plane field rotation reveal the growth of two-fold oscillations, which onsets at the hidden order temperature T*. The present results demonstrate striking similarities between the hidden order phase in Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4 and the pseudogap phase in high-Tc cuprates.
[1] L. Zhao et al., 12, 32 (2016).
[2] J. Jeong et al., Nat. Commun. 8, 15119 (2017).
[3] S. Kasahara et al., Nature 486, 382 (2012).
[4] Y. Sato et al., Nat. Phys. 13, 1074 (2017).
[5] H. Murayama et al., arXiv:1805.00276.

–

Presenters

  • Gang Cao

    Department of Physics, University of Colorado-Boulder, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Colorado Boulder

Authors

  • Shigeru Kasahara

    Physics, Kyoto University, Dept of Physics, Kyoto Univ., Kyoto University, Department of Physics, Kyoto University

  • Ryo Kurihara

    Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto University

  • Hinako Murayama

    Physics, Kyoto University, Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto University

  • Yuki Sato

    Physics, Kyoto University, Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto University

  • Yuichi Kasahara

    Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Physics, Kyoto University, Kyoto University

  • Yuji Matsuda

    Physics, Kyoto University, Department of Physics, Kyoto University, Dept of Physics, Kyoto Univ., Kyoto University

  • David Hsieh

    California Institute of Technology, Institute for Quantum Information and Matter, California Institute of Technology, Caltech, Caltech, Physics, Math & Astronomy, Physics, California Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, California Institute of Technology

  • Gang Cao

    Department of Physics, University of Colorado-Boulder, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309, Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, Department of Physics, University of Colorado at Boulder, Physics and Astronomy, University of Kentucky, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Colorado Boulder