Magnetic and Charge Correlations in La{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4: Raman Scattering Study

TL;DR

This study investigates magnetic excitations and lattice disorder in La_{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4 using Raman scattering, revealing magnetic field-induced states, spin dynamics, and persistent octahedral tilt disorder across doping levels.

Contribution

It provides new insights into magnetic excitations, field-induced magnetic states, and disorder effects in La_{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4, expanding understanding of its magnetic and structural properties.

Findings

Identified spin-wave gap and magnetic field-induced modes in La_{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4.

Discovered persistent octahedral tilt disorder at 10 K across doping levels.

Observed that charge/spin modulations are weak and Raman signatures are not detectable.

Abstract

Two aspects in connection with the magnetic properties of La_{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4 single crystals are discussed. The first is related to long wavelength magnetic excitations in x = 0, 0.01, and 0.03 La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 detwinned crystals as a function of doping, temperature and magnetic field. Two magnetic modes were observed within the AF region of the phase diagram. The one at lower energies was identified with the spin-wave gap induced by the antisymmetric DM interaction and its anisotropic properties in magnetic field could be well explained using a canonical form of the spin Hamiltonian. A new finding was a magnetic field induced mode whose dynamics allowed us to discover a spin ordered state outside the AF order which was shown to persist in a 9 T field as high as 100 K above the N\'eel temperature T_N for x = 0.01. For these single magnon excitations we map out the Raman selection rules in magnetic fields and demonstrate that their temperature dependent spectral weight is peaked at the N\'eel temperature. The second aspect is related to phononic and magnetic Raman scattering in La_{2-x-y}Nd_ySr_xCuO_4 with three doping concentrations: x = 1/8, y = 0; x = 1/8, y = 0.4; and x = 0.01, y = 0. We observed that around 1/8 Sr doping and independent of Nd concentration there exists substantial disorder in the tilt pattern of the CuO_6 octahedra in both the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases which persist down to 10 K and are coupled to bond disorder in the cation layers. The weak magnitude of existing charge/spin modulations in the Nd doped structure did not allow us to detect specific Raman signatures on lattice dynamics or two-magnon scattering around 2200 cm-1.