Thermal Conductivity of Pr_{1.3-x}La_{0.7}Ce_xCuO_4 Single Crystals and Signatures of Stripes in an Electron-Doped Cuprate

TL;DR

This study investigates the thermal conductivity and stripe signatures in electron-doped cuprate Pr_{1.3-x}La_{0.7}Ce_xCuO_4, revealing behaviors similar to hole-doped LSCO and suggesting stripe formation in electron-doped materials.

Contribution

It demonstrates that phonon heat transport behavior can probe stripe formation in electron-doped cuprates, extending previous findings from hole-doped LSCO.

Findings

Similar anisotropic phonon heat transport features as in LSCO

Metallic in-plane resistivity in lightly-doped PLCCO within the Néel state

Evidence supporting stripe existence in electron-doped cuprates

Abstract

It was recently demonstrated that the anisotropic phonon heat transport behavior is a good probe of the stripe formation in La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) [X. F. Sun {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 67}, 104503 (2003)]. Using this probe, we examined an electron-doped cuprate Pr_{1.3-x}La_{0.7}Ce_xCuO_4 (PLCCO) and found that essentially the same features as those in LSCO are observed. Moreover, the in-plane resistivity \rho_{ab} of lightly-doped PLCCO shows metallic behavior (d\rho_{ab}/dT > 0) in the N\'eel ordered state with a mobility comparable to that in LSCO. It is discussed that these peculiar properties in common with LSCO signify the existence of stripes in electron-doped cuprates.