Mott gap excitations in twin-free YBa2Cu3O7-d (Tc = 93 K) studied by RIXS

TL;DR

This study uses resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to investigate Mott gap excitations in twin-free YBa2Cu3O7-d, revealing anisotropic spectra and differences in Mott gap sizes between CuO chains and CuO2 planes.

Contribution

It provides the first direct observation of the smaller Mott gap in CuO chain sites compared to CuO2 planes using RIXS.

Findings

Enhanced 2 eV excitation near zone boundary in CuO chains

Broad 1.5-4 eV excitation in CuO2 planes

Theoretical models reproduce observed spectra

Abstract

Mott gap excitations in the high-Tc superconductor of the optimal doped YBa2Cu3O7-d (Tc = 93 K) have been studied by the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering method. Anisotropic spectra in the ab-plane are observed in a twin-free crystal. The excitation from the one-dimensional CuO chain is enhanced at 2 eV near the zone boundary of the b* direction, while the excitation from the CuO2 plane is broad at 1.5-4 eV and almost independent of the momentum transfer. Theoretical calculation based on the one-dimensional and two-dimensional Hubbard model reproduces the observed spectra by taking the different parameters of the on-site Coulomb energy. The fact of the Mott gap of the CuO chain site is much smaller than that of CuO2 plane site is observed for the first time.