X-ray-scattering study of copper magnetism in nonsuperconducting <span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">PrBa</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">Cu</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></mrow><mrow><msub><mrow><mi mathvariant="normal">O</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>6.92</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>

J. P. Hill; D. F. McMorrow; A. T. Boothroyd; A. Stunault; C. Vettier; L. E. Berman; M. v. Zimmermann; Th. Wolf

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.61.1251

X-ray-scattering study of copper magnetism in nonsuperconducting ${PrBa}_{2} {Cu}_{3} O_{6.92}$

J. P. Hill, D. F. McMorrow, A. T. Boothroyd, A. Stunault, C. Vettier, L. E. Berman, M. v. Zimmermann, and Th. Wolf

Phys. Rev. B 61, 1251 – Published 1 January 2000

Abstract

X-ray magnetic scattering from ordered Cu spins has been observed in a high- $T_{c}$ compound. The measurements were made on the anomalous cuprate ${PrBa}_{2} {Cu}_{3} O_{6.92}$ with x-ray photon energies tuned in the vicinity of the Cu K edge. The high wave-vector resolution enabled us to observe an incommensurate double- $Q$ Cu spin structure below $T_{\Pr} = 19$ K that forms as a result of coupling between the magnetically ordered Cu and Pr sublattices. Above $T_{\Pr},$ the Cu ordering is commensurate, ruling out static spin-charge stripe order as an explanation for the absence of superconductivity in this material.

Received 17 May 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.61.1251

Authors & Affiliations

J. P. Hill

Department of Physics, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973

D. F. McMorrow

Department of Solid State Physics, Risø National Laboratory, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark

A. T. Boothroyd

Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford University, Oxford, OX1 3PU, United Kingdom

A. Stunault

European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Boîte Postale 220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France;
XMaS, ESRF, Boîte Postal 220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France;
Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZE, United Kingdom

C. Vettier