ab-plane resistivity and possible charge stripe ordering in strongly underdoped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_{x}$CuO$_{4}$ single crystals

TL;DR

This study measures the ab-plane resistivity in underdoped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ crystals, suggesting charge stripe fluctuations influence resistivity deviations and possible stripe ordering affects superconducting transition anomalies.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence linking charge stripe fluctuations and ordering to resistivity behavior in underdoped cuprates, highlighting their role in superconductivity.

Findings

Resistivity deviates from linearity at T$_{ ext{ch}}$, indicating stripe fluctuations.

Sharp anomalies in resistivity suggest stripe ordering near T$_c$.

Charge stripe dynamics influence the electronic properties of underdoped cuprates.

Abstract

We have measured the ab-plane resistivity of La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ single crystals with small Sr content (x=0.052 $\div$ 0.075) between 4.2 and 300 K by using the AC Van der Pauw technique. As recently suggested by Ichikawa et al., the deviation from the linearity of the $\rho_{\mathrm{ab}}(T)$ curve starting at a temperature T$_{\mathrm{ch}}$ can be interpreted as due to a progressive slowing down of the fluctuations of pre-formed charge stripes. An electronic transition of the stripes to a more ordered phase could instead be responsible for some very sharp anomalies present in the $\rho_{\mathrm{ab}}(T)$ of superconducting samples just above $T_{\mathrm{c}}$.