Unidirectional spin density wave state in metallic (Sr<sub>1-x</sub>La <sub>x</sub> )<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub>.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 29317642.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-017-02647-1 and PMC identifier 5760634.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Materials that exhibit both strong spin-orbit coupling and electron correlation effects are predicted to host numerous new electronic states. One prominent example is the J<sub>eff</sub> = 1/2 Mott state in Sr<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub>, where introducing carriers is predicted to manifest high temperature superconductivity analogous to the S = 1/2 Mott state of La<sub>2</sub>CuO<sub>4</sub>. While bulk superconductivity currently remains elusive, anomalous quasiparticle behaviors paralleling those in the cuprates such as pseudogap formation and the formation of a d-wave gap are observed upon electron-doping Sr<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub>. Here we establish a magnetic parallel between electron-doped Sr<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub> and hole-doped La<sub>2</sub>CuO<sub>4</sub> by unveiling a spin density wave state in electron-doped Sr<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub>. Our magnetic resonant X-ray scattering data reveal the presence of an incommensurate magnetic state reminiscent of the diagonal spin density wave state observed in the monolayer cuprate (La<sub>1-x</sub>Sr <sub>x</sub> )<sub>2</sub>CuO<sub>4</sub>. This link supports the conjecture that the quenched Mott phases in electron-doped Sr<sub>2</sub>IrO<sub>4</sub> and hole-doped La<sub>2</sub>CuO<sub>4</sub> support common competing electronic phases.