Quantum spin correlations through the superconducting-normal phase transition in electron-doped superconducting Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4-d

TL;DR

This study investigates how quantum spin fluctuations and magnetic resonance in electron-doped high-Tc superconductor Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4-d relate to superconductivity, showing that magnetic resonance suppression correlates with loss of superconductivity.

Contribution

It reveals that the magnetic resonance is directly linked to superconducting condensation energy and plays a role in electron pairing in electron-doped cuprates.

Findings

Suppression of superconductivity suppresses the magnetic resonance.

Emergence of static antiferromagnetic order when resonance is suppressed.

Resonance energy tracks the superconducting transition temperature.

Abstract

The quantum spin fluctuations of the S = 1/2 Cu ions are important in determining the physical properties of the high-transition temperature (high-Tc) copper oxide superconductors, but their possible role in the electron pairing for superconductivity remains an open question. The principal feature of the spin fluctuations in optimally doped high-Tc superconductors is a well defined magnetic resonance whose energy (Er) tracks Tc (as the composition is varied) and whose intensity develops like an order parameter in the superconducting state. We show that the suppression of superconductivity and its associated condensation energy by a magnetic field in the electron-doped high-Tc superconductor, Pr0.88LaCe0.12CuO4-d (Tc = 24 K), is accompanied by the complete suppression of the resonance and the concomitant emergence of static antiferromagnetic (AF) order. Our results demonstrate that the resonance is intimately related to the superconducting condensation energy, and thus suggest that it plays a role in the electron pairing and superconductivity.