Incommensurate Geometry of the Elastic Magnetic Peaks in Superconducting La1.88Sr0.12CuO4

TL;DR

This study uses neutron scattering to investigate the incommensurate magnetic order in superconducting La1.88Sr0.12CuO4, revealing unique wavevector orientations that challenge existing stripe models of magnetism in cuprates.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the incommensurate magnetic peaks' geometry in La1.88Sr0.12CuO4, highlighting differences from related compounds and implications for stripe-based theories.

Findings

Incommensurate magnetic peaks do not align with high-symmetry directions.

Peak positions are similar to those in La2CuO4+y.

Behavior differs from stripe order observed in La1.6-xNd0.4SrxCuO4.

Abstract

We report magnetic neutron scattering measurements of incommensurate magnetic order in a superconducting single crystal of La1.88Sr0.12CuO4. We find that the incommensurate wavevectors which describe the static magnetism do not lie along high-symmetry directions of the underlying CuO2 lattice. The positions of the elastic magnetic peaks are consistent with those found in excess-oxygen doped La2CuO4+y. This behavior differs from the precise magnetic order found in the low temperature tetragonal La1.6-xNd0.4SrxCuO4 material for which stripes of spin and charge have been observed. These observations have clear implications for any stripe model proposed to describe the static magnetism in orthorhombic La2CuO4-based superconductors.