Anisotropic softening of magnetic excitations along the nodal direction in superconducting cuprates

M. Guarise, B. Dalla Piazza, H. Berger, E. Giannini, T. Schmitt, H. M. Rønnow, G. A. Sawatzky, J. van den Brink, D. Altenfeld, I. Eremin and M. Grioni ()
Additional contact information
M. Guarise: Institute of Condensed Matter Physics (ICMP), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
B. Dalla Piazza: Institute of Condensed Matter Physics (ICMP), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
H. Berger: Institute of Condensed Matter Physics (ICMP), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
E. Giannini: Université de Genève
T. Schmitt: Swiss Light Source, Paul Scherrer Institut
H. M. Rønnow: Institute of Condensed Matter Physics (ICMP), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
G. A. Sawatzky: University of British Columbia
J. van den Brink: Institute for Theoretical Solid State Physics, IFW Dresden
D. Altenfeld: Institut für Theoretische Physik III, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
I. Eremin: Institut für Theoretische Physik III, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
M. Grioni: Institute of Condensed Matter Physics (ICMP), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The high-Tc cuprate superconductors are close to antiferromagnetic order. Recent measurements of magnetic excitations have reported an intriguing similarity to the spin waves—magnons—of the antiferromagnetic insulating parent compounds, suggesting that magnons may survive in damped, broadened form throughout the phase diagram. Here we show by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ (Bi-2212) that the analogy with spin waves is only partial. The magnon-like features collapse along the nodal direction in momentum space and exhibit a photon energy dependence markedly different from the Mott-insulating case. These observations can be naturally described by the continuum of charge and spin excitations of correlated electrons. The persistence of damped magnons could favour scenarios for superconductivity built from quasiparticles coupled to spin fluctuations. However, excitation spectra composed of particle–hole excitations suggest that superconductivity emerges from a coherent treatment of electronic spin and charge in the form of quasiparticles with very strong magnetic correlations.

Date: 2014
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6760

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