Search

New surprises continue to be revealed about La$_2$CuO$_4$, the parent compound of the original cuprate superconductor. Here we present neutron scattering evidence that the structural symmetry is lower than commonly assumed. The static distortion results in anisotropic Cu-O bonds within the CuO$_2$ planes; such anisotropy is relevant to pinning charge stripes in hole-doped samples. Associated with the extra structural modulation is a soft phonon mode. If this phonon were to soften completely, the resulting change in CuO$_6$ octahedral tilts would lead to weak ferromagnetism. Hence, we suggest that this mode may be the "chiral" phonon inferred from recent studies of the thermal Hall effect. We also note the absence of interaction between the antiferromagnetic spin waves and low-energy optical phonons, in contrast to what is observed in hole-doped samples., 12 pages, 10 figures; accepted version

Time resolved measurements provide a new way to disentangle complex interactions in quantum materials due to their different timescales. We used pump-probe Raman scattering to investigate the apical oxygen vibration in YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{6+x}$ under nonequilibrium conditions. Time-dependence of the phonon population demonstrated strong electron-phonon coupling. Most importantly, the phonon shifts to a higher energy due to transient smearing of the Fermi surface in a remarkable agreement with diagrammatic theory. We also discuss new insights into photoinduced superconductivity reported at lower doping that follow from these results., New expanded version including analysis and comparison of phonon softening to diagrammatic theory

Doped antiferromagnets host a vast array of physical properties and learning how to control them is one of the biggest challenges of condensed matter physics. La$_{1.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$NiO$_4$ (LSNO) is a classic example of such a material. At low temperatures holes introduced via substitution of La by Sr segregate into lines to form boundaries between magnetically ordered domains in the form of stripes. The stripes become dynamic at high temperatures, but LSNO remains insulating presumably because an interplay between magnetic correlations and electron-phonon coupling localizes charge carriers. Magnetic degrees of freedom have been extensively investigated in this system, but phonons are almost completely unexplored. We searched for electron-phonon anomalies in LSNO by inelastic neutron scattering. Giant renormalization of plane Ni-O bond-stretching modes that modulate the volume around Ni appears on entering the dynamic charge stripe phase. Other phonons are a lot less sensitive to stripe melting. Dramatic overdamping of the breathing modes indicates that dynamic stripe phase may host small polarons. We argue that this feature sets electron-phonon coupling in nickelates apart from that in cuprates where breathing phonons are not overdamped and point out remarkable similarities with the colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) manganites.

The cuprates exhibit a prominent charge-density-wave (CDW) instability with wavevector along [100], i.e., the Cu-O bond direction. Whereas CDW order is most prominent at moderate doping and low temperature, there exists increasing evidence for dynamic charge correlations throughout a large portion of the temperature-doping phase diagram. In particular, signatures of incipient charge order have been observed as phonon softening and/or broadening near the CDW wavevector approximately half-way through the Brillouin zone. Most of this work has focused on moderately-doped cuprates, for which the CDW order is robust, or on optimally-doped samples, for which the superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) attains its maximum. Here we present a time-of-flight neutron scattering study of phonons in simple-tetragonal $\text{HgBa}_2\text{CuO}_{4+\delta}$ ($T_c = 55$ K) at a low doping level where prior work showed the CDW order to be weak. We employ and showcase a new software-based technique that mines the large number of measured Brillouin zones for useful data in order to improve accuracy and counting statistics. Density-functional theory has not provided an accurate description of phonons in $\text{HgBa}_2\text{CuO}_{4+\delta}$, yet we find the right set of parameters to qualitatively reproduce the data. The notable exception is a dispersion minimum in the longitudinal Cu-O bond-stretching branch along [100]. This discrepancy suggests that, while CDW order is weak, there exist significant dynamic charge correlations in the optic phonon range at low doping, near the edge of the superconducting dome.

The cuprates exhibit a prominent charge-density-wave (CDW) instability with wavevector along [100], i.e., the Cu-O bond direction. Whereas CDW order is most prominent at moderate doping and low temperature, there exists increasing evidence for dynamic charge correlations throughout a large portion of the temperature-doping phase diagram. In particular, signatures of incipient charge order have been observed as phonon softening and/or broadening near the CDW wavevector approximately half-way through the Brillouin zone. Most of this work has focused on moderately-doped cuprates, for which the CDW order is robust, or on optimally-doped samples, for which the superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) attains its maximum. Here we present a time-of-flight neutron scattering study of phonons in simple-tetragonal $\text{HgBa}_2\text{CuO}_{4+��}$ ($T_c = 55$ K) at a low doping level where prior work showed the CDW order to be weak. We employ and showcase a new software-based technique that mines the large number of measured Brillouin zones for useful data in order to improve accuracy and counting statistics. Density-functional theory has not provided an accurate description of phonons in $\text{HgBa}_2\text{CuO}_{4+��}$, yet we find the right set of parameters to qualitatively reproduce the data. The notable exception is a dispersion minimum in the longitudinal Cu-O bond-stretching branch along [100]. This discrepancy suggests that, while CDW order is weak, there exist significant dynamic charge correlations in the optic phonon range at low doping, near the edge of the superconducting dome.

La$_{1.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$NiO$_4$ develops charge and spin stripe orders at temperatures of roughly 200 K, with modulation wave vectors that are temperature independent. Various probes of spin and charge response have provided independent evidence for some sort of change below $\sim50$ K. In combination with a new set of neutron scattering measurements, we propose a unified interpretation of all of these observations in terms of a freezing of Ni-centered charges stripes, together with a glassy ordering of the spin stripes that shows up in neutron scattering as a slight rotation of the average spin direction., 9 pages, 6 figs; version accepted for publication

According to standard theory the magnetoresistance magnitude in ferromagnetic manganites crucially depends on the electron-phonon coupling strength. We showed that in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 the phonon renormalization is strong, despite its relatively small magnetoresistance. Here, we report results of a similar inelastic neutron-scattering investigation of a closely related compound, La0.8Sr0.2MnO3, where the magnetoresistance is enhanced. We find similar phonon renormalization and dynamic CE-type polaron correlations as in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. However, quantitative comparison of the results for the two samples shows that only polaron lifetime is well correlated with the strength of the colossal magnetoresistance.

According to standard theory the magnetoresistance magnitude in ferromagnetic manganites crucially depends on the electron-phonon coupling strength. We showed that in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 the phonon renormalization is strong, despite its relatively small magnetoresistance. Here, we report results of a similar inelastic neutron scattering investigation of a closely related compound, La0.8Sr0.2MnO3, where the magnetoresistance is enhanced. We find similar phonon renormalization and dynamic CE-type polaron correlations as in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. However, quantitative comparison of the results for the two samples shows that only polaron lifetime is well correlated with the strength of the CMR., 5 figures

Electron-phonon interaction in copper oxide superconductors is still enigmatic. Strong coupling for certain optic phonons is now well established experimentally, but theoretical understanding is challenging. Scattering of electrons near the Fermi surface by the longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons is expected from basic theory because these phonons modulate electron density. We used inelastic neutron scattering on a large single crystal sample of optimally-doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+\delta}$ to show that low-energy LA phonons could couple to electronic density fluctuations only at small phonon wavevectors, which naturally limits any interaction to forward scattering. Such scattering should not be pairbreaking in the case of the d-wave gap. We also found that previously the reported low energy phonon spectral weight half-way to the zone boundary is consistent with conventional lattice dynamics and does not reflect an incipient charge density wave., Comment: Updated Oct. 2019 to include new measurements and additional discussion. 7 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary included: 6 pages, 5 figures

Due to the lack of access to affordable oral healthcare in outpatient settings, emergency departments (EDs) see unnecessary overuse in providing palliative care for mouth pain. Hospitals across the country are exhausting limited human and fiscal resources on patients seeking relief for non-traumatic oral conditions that could be better managed in nonhospital settings. Community dental clinics offer one strategy for easing the burden on EDs, while simultaneously reducing costs to the system, facilitating definitive care, and minimizing time away from work and home for patients. The expansion of government funding, including comprehensive adult Medicaid dental benefits, to facilitate preventive and restorative coverage for populations in need in outpatient settings would increase access to appropriate care and likely further reduce the tendency for patients to seek dental care in EDs. Targeting of specific high-risk groups (such as low-resourced or minority persons) also would help to remove barriers to care, lessen disparities in access and treatment, and improve equity in oral health in the U.S.

Electron-phonon interaction in copper oxide superconductors is still enigmatic. Strong coupling for certain optic phonons is now well established experimentally, but theoretical understanding is challenging. Scattering of electrons near the Fermi surface by the longitudinal acoustic (LA) phonons is expected from basic theory because these phonons modulate electron density. We used inelastic neutron scattering on a large single crystal sample of optimally-doped Bi$_2$Sr$_2$CaCu$_2$O$_{8+��}$ to show that low-energy LA phonons could couple to electronic density fluctuations only at small phonon wavevectors, which naturally limits any interaction to forward scattering. Such scattering should not be pairbreaking in the case of the d-wave gap. We also found that previously the reported low energy phonon spectral weight half-way to the zone boundary is consistent with conventional lattice dynamics and does not reflect an incipient charge density wave., Updated Oct. 2019 to include new measurements and additional discussion. 7 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary included: 6 pages, 5 figures

Among colossal magnetoresistive manganites the prototypical ferromagnetic manganite La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ has a relatively small magnetoresistance, and has been long assumed to have only weak electron-lattice coupling. Here we report that La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ has strong electron-phonon coupling: Our neutron and x-ray scattering experiments show strong softening and broadening of transverse acoustic phonons on heating through the Curie temperature T$_C$ = 350 K. Simultaneously, we observe two phases where metallic resistivity and polarons coexist. The ferromagnetic polaronic metal phase between 200 K and T$_C$ is characterized by quasielastic scattering from dynamic CE-type polarons with the relatively short lifetime of $\mathbf{\tau}\approx 1\,\rm{ps}$. This scattering is greatly enhanced above T$_C$ in the paramagnetic polaronic metal phase. Our results suggest that the strength of magnetoresistance in manganites scales with the inverse of polaron lifetime, not the strength of electron-phonon coupling.

© 2015 Shiboski et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credite

We report neutron scattering measurements of the structural correlations associated with the apparent relaxor transition in K$_{1-x}$Li$_x$TaO$_3$ for $x=0.02$ (KLT(0.02)). This compound displays a broad and frequency-dependent peak in the dielectric permittivity, which is the accepted hallmark of all relaxors. However, no evidence of elastic diffuse scattering or any soft mode anomaly is observed in KLT(0.02) [J. Wen et al., Phys. Rev. B 78, 144202 (2008)], a situation that diverges from that in other relaxors such as PbMg$_{1/3}$Nb$_{2/3}$O$_3$. We resolve this dichotomy by showing that the structural correlations associated with the transition in KLT(0.02) are purely dynamic at all temperatures, having a timescale on the order of $\sim$THz. These fluctuations are overdamped, non-propagating, and spatially uncorrelated. Identical measurements made on pure KTaO$_3$ show that they are absent (within experimental error) in the undoped parent material. They exhibit a temperature dependence that correlates well with the dielectric response, which suggests that they are associated with local ferroelectric regions induced by the Li$^+$ doping. The ferroelectric transition that is induced by the introduction of Li$^+$ cations is therefore characterized by quasistatic fluctuations, which represents a stark contrast to the soft harmonic-mode-driven transition observed in conventional perovskite ferroelectrics like PbTiO$_3$. The dynamic, glass-like, structural correlations in KLT(0.02) are much faster than those measured in random-field-based lead-based relaxors, which exhibit a frequency scale of order of $\sim$GHz and are comparatively better correlated spatially. Our results support the view that random fields give rise to the relaxor phenomena, and that the glass-like dynamics observed here characterize a nascent response., (13 pages, 11 figures)

Parent compounds of Fe-based superconductors undergo a structural phase transition from a tetragonal to an orthorhombic structure. We investigated the temperature dependence of the frequencies of transverse acoustic (TA) phonons that extrapolate to the shear vibrational mode at the zone center, which corresponds to the orthorhombic deformation of the crystal structure at low temperatures in BaFe 2 As 2 and SrFe 2 As 2 . We found that acoustic phonons at small wavevectors soften gradually towards the transition from high temperatures, tracking the increase of the size of slowly fluctuating magnetic domains. On cooling below the transition to base temperature the phonons harden, following the square of the magnetic moment. Our results provide evidence for close correlation between magnetic and phonon properties in Fe-based superconductors., 5 pages, 4 figures

The ferropnictide superconductors exhibit a sensitive interplay between the lattice and magnetic degrees of freedom, including a number of phonon modes that are much softer than predicted by nonmagnetic calculations using density functional theory (DFT). However, it is not known what effect, if any, the long-range magnetic order has on phonon frequencies above 23 meV, where several phonon branches are very closely spaced in energy and it is challenging to isolate them from each other. We measured these phonons using inelastic time-of-flight neutron scattering in ~40 Brillouin zones, and developed a technique to determine their frequencies. We find this method capable of determining phonon energies to ~0.1 meV accuracy, and that the DFT calculations using the experimental structure yield qualitatively correct energies and eigenvectors. We do not find any effect of the magnetic transition on these phonons., To be published in Physical Review B

We present a combined density-functional-perturbation-theory and inelastic neutron scattering study of the lattice dynamical properties of YNi2B2C. In general, very good agreement was found between theory and experiment for both phonon energies and line widths. Our analysis reveals that the strong coupling of certain low energy modes is linked to the presence of large displacements of the light atoms, i.e. B and C, which is unusual in view of the rather low phonon energies. Specific modes exhibiting a strong coupling to the electronic quasiparticles were investigated as a function of temperature. Their energies and line widths showed marked changes on cooling from room temperature to just above the superconducting transition at Tc = 15.2 K. Calculations simulating the effects of temperature allow to model the observed temperature dependence qualitatively.

We present an investigation of the lattice dynamics of the charge-density-wave compound 2H-NbSe2. We analyze the precise nature of the wave vector dependent electron-phonon coupling (EPC) and derive the bare dispersion of the charge-density-wave (CDW) soft phonon mode using inelastic x-ray scattering combined with ab-initio calculations. Experimentally, phonon modes along the {\Gamma} - M line, i.e. q = (h, 0, 0) with 0, Comment: accepted as regular article in Physical Review B

Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) is associated with the phase transition from a metallic ferromagnetic to insulating paramagnetic phase, which can be controlled by an applied magnetic field. The insulating phase occurs due to trapping of the charge carriers by polaronic lattice distortions, which raise the resistivity. Theories based on local physics predict that the magnitude of the resistivity jump at Tc is determined by how much, on average, the amplitude of these distortions increases at the phase transition. Using neutron scattering, we measured the average distortion amplitude in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3. Surprisingly, its increase from below to above Tc is just as large as in other manganites, which have a much larger resistivity jump. This result suggests that the strength of CMR is determined not by the size of distortions, but by their cooperative nature specific to each compound. Existing theories need to be extended to include correlations between different unit cells to explain and predict the strength of CMR.

Electronic band dispersions in copper oxide superconductors have kinks around 70 meV that are typically attributed to coupling of electrons to a bosonic mode. We performed angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) experiments on overdoped cuprate high temperature superconductors to test the relationship between the superconducting transition temperature and electron-bosonic mode coupling. Remarkably, the kinks remain strong in the heavily overdoped region of the doping phase diagram of LSCO, even when the superconductivity completely disappears. This unexpected observation is incompatible with the conventional picture of superconductivity mediated by the sharp bosonic modes that are responsible for the kink. Therefore, the pairing likely originates from something else, such as from interactions with a very broad electronic spectrum or from an unconventional mechanism without pairing glue., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. For the Supp. Mat., please contact the authors

We report temperature dependence of low-energy phonons in magnetic nonsuperconducting TbNi2B2C single crystals measured by inelastic neutron scattering. We observed a low-temperature softening and broadening of two phonon branches, qualitatively similar to that previously reported for superconducting RNi2B2C (R= rare earth, Y) compounds. This result suggests that the superconductivity in TbNi2B2C compounds is absent not because of a weak electron-phonon coupling but as a result of pairbreaking due to magnetism.

Motivated by predictions of a substantial contribution of the "buckling" vibration of the CuO2 layers to d-wave superconductivity in the cuprates, we have performed an inelastic neutron scattering study of this phonon in an array of untwinned crystals of YBa2Cu3O7. The data reveal a pronounced softening of the phonon at the in-plane wave vector q = (0, 0.3) upon cooling below ~ 105 K, but no corresponding anomaly at q = (0.3, 0). Based on the observed in-plane anisotropy, we argue that the electron-phonon interaction responsible for this anomaly supports an electronic instability associated with a uniaxial charge-density modulation and does not mediate d-wave superconductivity., Comment: to appear in PRL

Purely local experimental probes of many copper oxide superconductors show that their electronic states are inhomogeneous in real space. For example, scanning tunneling spectroscopic (STS) imaging shows strong variations in real space, and according to nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) studies the charge distribution in the bulk varies on the nanoscale. However, the analysis of the experimental results utilizing spatially-averaged probes often ignores this fact. We have performed a detailed investigation of the doping-dependence of the energy and line width and position of the zone-boundary Cu-O bond-stretching vibration in La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 by inelastic neutron scattering. Both our new results as well as previously reported angle-dependent momentum widths of the electronic spectral function detected by angle-resolved photoemission can be reproduced by including the same distribution of local environments extracted from the NQR analysis., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in PRB

We report an inelastic neutron scattering study of acoustic phonons in the charge and orbitally ordered bilayer manganite LaSr$_2$Mn$_2$O$_7$. For excitation energies less than $15\,\rm{meV}$, we observe an abrupt increase (decrease) of the phonon energies (linewidths) of a transverse acoustic phonon branch at $\mathbf{q} = (h, h, 0)$, $h\le0.3$, upon entering the low temperature charge and orbital ordered state ($T_{COO} = 225\,\rm{K}$). This indicates a reduced electron-phonon coupling due to a decrease of electronic states at the Fermi level leading to a partial removal of the Fermi surface below $T_{COO}$ and provides direct experimental evidence for a link between electron-phonon coupling and charge order in manganites., Comment: accepted in Physical Review Letters

Charge carriers in low-doped semiconductors may distort the atomic lattice and trap themselves forming so-called small polarons. High carrier concentrations can lead to short range ordered polarons (large polarons) and even to long range charge and orbital order. Both systems should be insulating with a large electrical resistivity, which decreases with increasing temperature. However, photoemission measurements recently found a polaronic pseudogap, in a metallic phase of La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7. This layered manganite is famous for colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) associated with a phase transition from this low-temperature metallic phase to a high temperature insulating phase. Broad charge order peaks due to large polarons observed by neutron and x-ray scattering in the insulating phase disappear when La2-2xSr1+2xMn2O7 becomes metallic. We report results of inelastic neutron scattering measurements showing that polarons remain inside the metallic phase as fluctuations that strongly broaden and soften certain phonons near the wave vectors where the charge order peaks appeared in the insulating phase. Our findings imply that polaronic signatures in metals may generally come from a competing insulating charge-ordered phase. It is highly relevant to cuprate superconductors with both a pseudogap, and a similar phonon effect associated with a competing stripe order.

The pressure dependence of a large number of phonon modes in CaFe2As2 with energies covering the full range of the phonon spectrum has been studied using inelastic x-ray and neutron scatterings. The pressure range was large enough to cover the first-order phase transition into the so-called collapsed phase where the c-axis contracts by about 6% whereas a and b axes expand by about 1.5%. Our main result is that pressure-induced phonon frequency shifts are well explained by the changes in relevant bond lengths throughout the pressure range, including those associated with the first-order phase transition. Specifically, the frequencies of phonons polarized in the ab plane as well as the Fe-As bond lengths change little across the phase transition. On the other hand, the transverse-acoustic phonons propagating along the c direction stiffen very significantly in response to the large contraction of the bonds along the c axis. Nonmagnetic density-functional calculations describe the frequencies in both the zero pressure and in the collapsed phase in a satisfactory way if based on the respective experimental crystal structures. This suggests that there is no need to invoke changes in magnetic moments on Fe atoms to explain the pressure-induced frequency shifts.

Since conventional superconductivity is mediated by phonons, their role in the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity has been considered very early after the discovery of the cuprates. The initial consensus was that phonons could not produce transition temperatures near 100 K, and the main direction of research focused on nonphononic mechanisms. Subsequent work last reviewed by L. Pintschovius in 2005 showed that electron-phonon coupling in the cuprates is surprisingly strong for some phonons and its role is controversial. Experiments performed since then identified anomalous behavior of certain Cu–O bond-stretching phonons in cuprates as an important phenomenon that is somehow related to the mechanism of superconductivity. A particularly big advance was made in the study of doped La2CuO4. This work is reviewed here.

Extensive inelastic neutron scattering measurements of phonons on a single crystal of CaFe2As2 allowed us to establish a fairly complete picture of phonon dispersions in the main symmetry directions. The phonon spectra were also calculated by density functional theory (DFT) in the local density approximation (LDA). There are serious discrepancies between calculations done for the optimized structure and experiment, because the optimised structure is not the ambient pressure structure but is very close to the "collapsed" structure reached at p = 3.5 kbar. However, if the experimental crystal structure is used the calculation gives correct frequencies of most phonons. The most important new result is that linewidths/frequencies of certain modes are larger/softer than predicted by DFT-LDA. We also observed strong temperature dependence of some phonons near the structural phase transition near 172 K. This behavior may indicate anomalously strong electron phonon coupling and/or anharmonicity, which may be important to the mechanism of superconductivity.

International audience

Interactions with electronic excitations can soften and/or broaden phonons. They are greatly amplified at wavevectors Q+- that connect parallel (nested) sheets of the Fermi surface. In such a case, called a Kohn anomaly, the phonon dispersion sharply dips and its linewidth has a maximum at Q+-. Here we present results of inelastic x-ray scattering measurements that uncovered soft phonons in chromium far from Q+-. They appear in addition to the previously reported soft phonons at Q+-. Calculations in the local density approximation (LDA) show that the new anomalies originate from enhanced electron-phonon coupling. A similar mechanism may explain phonon anomalies away from nesting wavevectors in copper oxide superconductors and other compounds.

We measured phonon frequencies and linewidths in doped and undoped BaFe2As2 single crystals by inelastic x-ray scattering and compared our results with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In agreement with previous work, the calculated frequencies of some phonons depended on whether the ground state was magnetic or not and, in the former case, whether phonon wavevector was parallel or perpendicular to the magnetic ordering wavevector. The experimental results agreed better with the magnetic calculation than with zero Fe moment calculations, except the peak splitting expected due to magnetic domain twinning was not observed. Furthermore, phonon frequencies were unaffected by the breakdown of the magnetic ground state due to either doping or increased temperature. Based on these results we propose that phonons strongly couple not to the static order, but to high frequency magnetic fluctuations., Minor revision of the text

We measured phonon dispersions of CaFe2As2 using inelastic neutron scattering and compared our results to predictions of density functional theory in the local density approximation. The calculation gives correct frequencies of most phonons if the experimental crystal structure is used, except observed linewidths/frequencies of certain modes were larger/softer than predicted. Strong temperature dependence of some phonons near the structural phase transition near 172 K may indicate strong electron-phonon coupling and/or anharmonicity, which may be important for superconductivity.

Since conventional superconductivity is mediated by phonons, their role in the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity has been considered very early after the discovery of the cuprates. The initial consensus was that phonons could not produce transition temperatures near 100K, and the main direction of research focused on nonphononic mechanisms. Subsequent work last reviewed by L. Pintschovius in 2005 showed that electron-phonon coupling in the cuprates is surprisingly strong for some phonons and its role is controversial. Experiments performed since then identified anomalous behavior of certain Cu-O bond-stretching phonons in cuprates as an important phenomenon that is somehow related to the mechanism of superconductivity. A particularly big advance was made in the study of doped La2CuO4. This work is reviewed here., Comment: Review article. To appear in Advances in Condensed Matter Physics, Special Issue: Phonons and Electron Correlations in High-Temperature and Other Novel Superconductors (HTS)

Extensive inelastic neutron scattering measurements of phonons on a single crystal of CaFe2As2 allowed us to establish a fairly complete picture of phonon dispersions in the main symmetry directions. The phonon spectra were also calculated by density functional theory (DFT) in the local density approximation (LDA). There are serious discrepancies between calculations done for the optimized structure and experiment, because the optimised structure is not the ambient pressure structure but is very close to the collapsed structure reached at p = 3.5 kbar. However, if the experimental crystal structure is used the calculation gives correct frequencies of most phonons. The most important new result is that linewidths/frequencies of certain modes are larger/softer than predicted by DFT-LDA. We also observed strong temperature dependence of some phonons near the structural phase transition near 173K. This behavior may indicate anomalously strong electron phonon coupling and/or anharmonicity, which may be important to the mechanism of superconductivity., Comment: 12 pages, 3 figues Revised version, Final version, Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters

By muon spin-relaxation measurements on single-crystal specimens, we show that superconductivity in the AFe2As2 (A=Ca, Ba, Sr) systems, in both the cases of composition and pressure tunings, coexists with a strong static magnetic order in a partial volume fraction. The superfluid response from the remaining paramagnetic volume fraction of (Ba0.5K0.5)Fe2As2 exhibits a nearly linear variation in T at low temperatures, suggesting an anisotropic energy gap with line nodes and/or multigap effects.

In Fe-As based superconductors magnetism and superconductivity show strong sensitivity to the lattice, suggesting a possibility of unconventional electron-phonon coupling. We investigated c-axis polarized phonons in doped and undoped BaFe2As2 by inelastic X-ray scattering. Phonon peak positions and linewidths did not vary significantly as a function of doping either by Co or by K. The linewidth of the Fe vibration shows unusual wavevector-dependence, which may be due to hybridization with in-plane modes. Comparison with the density functional theory shows significant difference for the energy of the As-As vibrations (Raman active at the zone center) but not for the Fe-As vibrations (infrared-active at the zone center). This behavior cannot be explained by a 10% softening of Fe-As interaction strength as proposed previously for in-plane polarized vibrations.

The recent discovery and subsequent developments of FeAs-based superconductors have presented novel challenges and opportunities in the quest for superconducting mechanisms in correlated-electron systems. Central issues of ongoing studies include interplay between superconductivity and magnetism as well as the nature of the pairing symmetry reflected in the superconducting energy gap. In the cuprate and RE(O,F)FeAs (RE = rare earth) systems, the superconducting phase appears without being accompanied by static magnetic order, except for narrow phase-separated regions at the border of phase boundaries. By muon spin relaxation measurements on single crystal specimens, here we show that superconductivity in the AFe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ (A = Ca,Ba,Sr) systems, in both the cases of composition and pressure tunings, coexists with a strong static magnetic order in a partial volume fraction. The superfluid response from the remaining paramagnetic volume fraction of (Ba$_{0.5}$K$_{0.5}$)Fe$_{2}$As$_{2}$ exhibits a nearly linear variation in T at low temperatures, suggesting an anisotropic energy gap with line nodes and/or multi-gap effects., 14 pages 7 figures (4 for main text and 3 for on-line supplementary documents)

We present results of neutron scattering experiments on YBa2Cu3O6.95 (Tc=93K). Our results indicate that magnetic collective modes due to correlated local moments are present both above and below Tc in optimally doped YBCO. The magnon-like modes are robust and not overdamped by itinerant particle-hole excitations, which may point at a substantial static or slowly fluctuating charge inhomogeneity. We compare the experimental results to predictions of the Fermi liquid (FL) theory in the Random Phase Approximation (RPA)., This is a new version, which is substantially different from the previous one. Physical Review B, in print

Using Angle Resolved Photoemission ARPES , we present the first observation of sharp quasiparticle like peaks in a CMR manganite. We focus on the pi,0 regions of k space and study their electronic scattering rates and dispersion kinks, uncovering the critical energy scales, momentum scales, and strengths of the interactions that renormalize the electrons. To identify these bosons we measured phonon dispersions in the energy range of the kink by inelastic neutron scattering INS , finding a good match in both energy and momentum to the oxygen bond stretching phonons

Using Angle-Resolved Photoemission (ARPES), we present the first observation of sharp quasiparticle-like peaks in a CMR manganite. We focus on the ($\pi$,0) regions of k-space and study their electronic scattering rates and dispersion kinks, uncovering the critical energy scales, momentum scales, and strengths of the interactions that renormalize the electrons. To identify these bosons we measured phonon dispersions in the energy range of the kink by inelastic neutron scattering (INS), finding a good match in both energy and momentum to the oxygen bond-stretching phonons.

Longitudinal optical phonons with oxygen character were measured in La_0.7Sr_0.3MnO_3 by inelastic neutron scattering in the (1 0 0) cubic direction and results were compared with shell model predictions. Measurements were performed in several Brillouin zones, which enabled us to identify the eigenvectors independent of the shell model. All major disagreements between model predictions and experimental results are primarily due to the anomalous downward dispersion of the bond-stretching vibration. The main new result is that the rhombohedral distortion of the cubic lattice makes the bond-stretching vibrations interact strongly with bond-bending modes folded into the cubic Brillouin zone.

Using Angle-Resolved Photoemission (ARPES), we present the first observation of sharp quasiparticle-like peaks in a CMR manganite. We focus on the ($��$,0) regions of k-space and study their electronic scattering rates and dispersion kinks, uncovering the critical energy scales, momentum scales, and strengths of the interactions that renormalize the electrons. To identify these bosons we measured phonon dispersions in the energy range of the kink by inelastic neutron scattering (INS), finding a good match in both energy and momentum to the oxygen bond-stretching phonons.

International audience

The susceptibility of thin superconductor film was obtained. The absorption of energy of external electromagnetic field by superconductor film located at a semiconductor substrate was calculated. A new approach to calculation of the dispersion relation for eigenmodes of a strong inhomogeneous system was developed. The dispersion relations of eigenmodes of a superconductor thin film on the semiconductor substrate was calculated using the developed approach.

We report results of inelastic neutron scattering measurements of phonon dispersions in optimally doped YBa2Cu3O6.95 and compare them with model calculations. The focus is on the in-plane oxygen bond-stretching phonon branches. The study of these modes is complicated by anticrossings with c-axis-polarized branches; such effects are interpreted through lattice-dynamical shell-model calculations. The in-plane anisotropy of the bond-stretching phonons was firmly ascertained from measurements on a detwinned sample. Studying the in-plane modes involving out-of-phase motion for the two Cu-O layers within a unit cell as well as those with in-phase motion was of great help for establishing a clear experimental picture. The measurements confirm that the in-plane oxygen bond-stretching phonon branches disperse steeply downwards from the zone center in both the a and the b directions indicating a strong electron-phonon coupling. For the b-axis-polarized bond-stretching phonons, there is an additional feature of considerable interest: a sharp local frequency minimum was found to develop on cooling from room temperature to T = 10 K at the wave vector q = 0.27 r.l.u.., 10 pages, 13 figures

Inelastic neutron scattering investigations on optimally doped YBCO revealed a very pronounced temperature dependence in the Cu-O in-plane bond-stretching vibrations along the (010) direction: a shift of spectral weight by at least 10 meV has been observed in a narrow range of wave vectors halfway to the zone boundary. The temperature evolution starts at about 200 K, well above the superconducting transition temperature. The displacement pattern of the anomalous phonons indicates a dynamic one-dimensional charge-density modulation within the planes, but excludes a direct contribution from the Cu-O chains., 5 pages, 5 figures

Detailed neutron scattering measurements of YBa_2Cu_3O_6.95 found that the resonance peak and incommensurate magnetic scattering induced by superconductivity represent the same physical phenomenon: two dispersive branches that converge near 41 meV and the in-plane wave-vector q_af=(pi/a, pi/a) to form the resonance peak. One branch has a circular symmetry around q_af and quadratic downward dispersion from ~41 meV to the spin gap of 33+-1meV. The other, of lower intensity, disperses from ~41 meV to at least 55 meV. Our results exclude a quartet of vertical incommensurate rods in q-w space expected from spin waves produced by dynamical charge stripes as an origin of the observed incommensurate scattering in optimally-doped YBCO., Comment: Version 3: Author change. Changes made throughout the text and minor changes in figures, Model parameters slightly changed after a small error in the calculation was discovered

Temperature dependence of longitudinal optical phonons with oxygen character was measured in La1-xSrxMnO3 (x=0.2, 0.3) by inelastic neutron scattering in the (1 0 0) cubic direction. The zone center mode intensity is consistent with the Debye-Waller factor. However the intensity of the bond-stretching phonons half way to the zone boundary and near the zone boundary decreases dramatically as the temperature increases through the ferromagnetic (FM) transition. We found evidence that the lost phonon spectral weight might shift into polaron scattering at the same wavevectors. The temperature evolution starts well below the onset of the FM transition suggesting that the transition is driven by phonon renormalization rather than by magnetic fluctuations.