Polarized Neutron Measurement of Magnetic Order in YBa2Cu3O6.45

TL;DR

This study uses polarized neutron scattering to investigate magnetic order in YBa2Cu3O6.45, providing evidence for a small magnetic moment possibly related to the pseudogap phase in high-temperature superconductors.

Contribution

First polarized neutron measurements on YBa2Cu3O6.45 to detect magnetic order associated with the pseudogap.

Findings

Evidence of a small, c-axis-directed magnetic moment below 200K

Results are consistent with orbital current order hypothesis

Data supports the presence of magnetic order related to the pseudogap

Abstract

Orbital current order of the d-density-wave type (DDW) has been postulated to explain the pseudogap in the high temperature superconductors. We have performed neutron scattering experiments to search for this order and show here the results obtained on an YBa2Cu3O6.45 sample using the best neutron spectrometers available. We argue that the data are consistent with a small, largely c-axis-directed moment, found below about 200K.