Thermal Transport as a Probe of Localized Charge and Lattice Distortions in Manganites and Cuprates

TL;DR

This paper investigates how thermal resistivity in manganites and cuprates relates to local lattice distortions and localized holes, revealing insights into stripe domain formations and their pinning near oxygen vacancies.

Contribution

It demonstrates the correlation between thermal resistivity and local distortions, and links localized holes to stripe domain formation in cuprates.

Findings

Thermal resistivity correlates with local lattice distortions.

Localized holes are associated with static stripe domains.

Stripe domains are pinned near oxygen vacancy clusters.

Abstract

The thermal resistivity of manganites and cuprates is shown to correlate with local lattice distortions and the presence of localized holes as determined from neutron diffraction and nuclear quadrupole resonance. Oxygen doping dependent studies of heat conduction in Y-123 and Hg cuprates suggest that a fraction of the holes in the CuO$_2$ planes are localized near the planar hole concentration $p=1/8$. The results are consistent with the formation of short-ranged, static stripe domains that are pinned near oxygen vacancy clusters.