Interplay between Freezing and Superconductivity in the Optimally Doped LaEu0.20Sr0.15CuO4 under Hydrostatic Pressure

TL;DR

This study investigates how hydrostatic pressure influences the interplay between magnetic freezing, structural phase transitions, and superconductivity in optimally doped LaEu0.20Sr0.15CuO4, revealing their interconnected effects on electronic properties.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between magnetic, structural, and superconducting phases under pressure in cuprate superconductors.

Findings

Freezing of Cu 3d moments observed under pressure.

Structural transition from orthorhombic to tetragonal phase detected.

Disappearance of superconductivity linked to charge localization and glassy dynamics.

Abstract

We study the electronic properties of a LaEu0.20Sr0.15CuO4 single crystal under hydrostatic pressure up to 2.9 GPa. Both the freezing of the Cu 3d moments and the structural transition from the orthorhombic (LTO) to the tetragonal (LTT) phase are observed via the relaxation of the nuclear magnetization of La nuclei. Resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements have been carried out under pressure on the same sample. The combination of all data reveals the connection between glassy dynamics, charge localization and the disappearance of superconductivity in the LTT phase.