49 research outputs found
Non-universal ordering of spin and charge in stripe phases
We study the interplay of topological excitations in stripe phases: charge
dislocations, charge loops, and spin vortices. In two dimensions these defects
interact logarithmically on large distances. Using a renormalization-group
analysis in the Coulomb gas representation of these defects, we calculate the
phase diagram and the critical properties of the transitions. Depending on the
interaction parameters, spin and charge order can disappear at a single
transition or in a sequence of two transitions (spin-charge separation). These
transitions are non-universal with continuously varying critical exponents. We
also determine the nature of the points where three phases coexist.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Local Magnetic Order vs. Superconductivity in a Layered Cuprate
We report on the phase diagram for charge-stripe order in
La(1.6-x)Nd(0.4)Sr(x)CuO(4), determined by neutron and x-ray scattering studies
and resistivity measurements. From an analysis of the in-plane resistivity
motivated by recent nuclear-quadrupole-resonance studies, we conclude that the
transition temperature for local charge ordering decreases monotonically with
x, and hence that local antiferromagnetic order is uniquely correlated with the
anomalous depression of superconductivity at x = 1/8. This result is consistent
with theories in which superconductivity depends on the existence of
charge-stripe correlations.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; introduction revised, Fig. 3 removed, last figure
replace
Linear-T resistivity and change in Fermi surface at the pseudogap critical point of a high-Tc superconductor
A fundamental question of high-temperature superconductors is the nature of
the pseudogap phase which lies between the Mott insulator at zero doping and
the Fermi liquid at high doping p. Here we report on the behaviour of charge
carriers near the zero-temperature onset of that phase, namely at the critical
doping p* where the pseudogap temperature T* goes to zero, accessed by
investigating a material in which superconductivity can be fully suppressed by
a steady magnetic field. Just below p*, the normal-state resistivity and Hall
coefficient of La1.6-xNd0.4SrxCuO4 are found to rise simultaneously as the
temperature drops below T*, revealing a change in the Fermi surface with a
large associated drop in conductivity. At p*, the resistivity shows a linear
temperature dependence as T goes to zero, a typical signature of a quantum
critical point. These findings impose new constraints on the mechanisms
responsible for inelastic scattering and Fermi surface transformation in
theories of the pseudogap phase.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures. Published in Nature Physics. Online at
http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nphys1109.htm
Effect of a magnetic field on the spin- and charge-density wave order in La1.45Nd0.4Sr0.15CuO4
The spin-density wave (SDW) and charge-density wave (CDW) order in
superconducting La1.45Nd0.4Sr0.15CuO4 were studied under an applied magnetic
field using neutron and X-ray diffraction techniques. In zero field,
incommensurate (IC) SDW order appears below ~ 40 K, which is characterized by
neutron diffraction peaks at (1/2 +/- 0.134, 1/2 +/- 0.134, 0). The intensity
of these IC peaks increases rapidly below T_Nd ~ 8 K due to an ordering of the
Nd^3+ spins. The application of a 1 T magnetic field parallel to the c-axis
markedly diminishes the intensity below T_Nd, while only a slight decrease in
intensity is observed at higher temperatures for fields up to 7 T. Our
interpretation is that the c-axis field suppresses the parasitic Nd^3+ spin
order at the incommensurate wave vector without disturbing the stripe order of
Cu^2+ spins. Consistent with this picture, the CDW order, which appears below
60 K, shows no change for magnetic fields up to 4 T. These results stand in
contrast to the significant field-induced enhancement of the SDW order observed
in superconducting La2-xSrxCuO4 with x ~ 0.12 and stage-4 La2CuO4+y. The
differences can be understood in terms of the relative volume fraction
exhibiting stripe order in zero field, and the collective results are
consistent with the idea that suppression of superconductivity by vortices
nucleates local patches of stripe order.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figure
CFTR Function Restoration upon Elexacaftor/Tezacaftor/Ivacaftor Treatment in Patient-Derived Intestinal Organoids with Rare CFTR Genotypes
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene. The combination of the CFTR modulators elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor (ETI) enables the effective rescue of CFTR function in people with the most prevalent F508del mutation. However, the functional restoration of rare CFTR variants remains unclear. Here, we use patient-derived intestinal organoids (PDIOs) to identify rare CFTR variants and potentially individuals with CF that might benefit from ETI. First, steady-state lumen area (SLA) measurements were taken to assess CFTR function and compare it to the level observed in healthy controls. Secondly, the forskolin-induced swelling (FIS) assay was performed to measure CFTR rescue within a lower function range, and to further compare it to ETI-mediated CFTR rescue in CFTR genotypes that have received market approval. ETI responses in 30 PDIOs harboring the F508del mutation served as reference for ETI responses of 22 PDIOs with genotypes that are not currently eligible for CFTR modulator treatment, following European Medicine Agency (EMA) and/or U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations. Our data expand previous datasets showing a correlation between in vitro CFTR rescue in organoids and corresponding in vivo ppFEV1 improvement upon a CFTR modulator treatment in published clinical trials, and suggests that the majority of individuals with rare CFTR variants could benefit from ETI. CFTR restoration was further confirmed on protein levels using Western blot. Our data support that CFTR function measurements in PDIOs with rare CFTR genotypes can help to select potential responders to ETI, and suggest that regulatory authorities need to consider providing access to treatment based on the principle of equality for people with CF who do not have access to treatment.</p
Phase Separation Models for Cuprate Stripe Arrays
An electronic phase separation model provides a natural explanation for a
large variety of experimental results in the cuprates, including evidence for
both stripes and larger domains, and a termination of the phase separation in
the slightly overdoped regime, when the average hole density equals that on the
charged stripes. Several models are presented for charged stripes, showing how
density waves, superconductivity, and strong correlations compete with quantum
size effects (QSEs) in narrow stripes. The energy bands associated with the
charged stripes develop in the middle of the Mott gap, and the splitting of
these bands can be understood by considering the QSE on a single ladder.Comment: significant revisions: includes island phase, 16 eps figures, revte
How to detect fluctuating order in the high-temperature superconductors
We discuss fluctuating order in a quantum disordered phase proximate to a
quantum critical point, with particular emphasis on fluctuating stripe order.
Optimal strategies for extracting information concerning such local order from
experiments are derived with emphasis on neutron scattering and scanning
tunneling microscopy. These ideas are tested by application to two model
systems - the exactly solvable one dimensional electron gas with an impurity,
and a weakly-interacting 2D electron gas. We extensively review experiments on
the cuprate high-temperature superconductors which can be analyzed using these
strategies. We adduce evidence that stripe correlations are widespread in the
cuprates. Finally, we compare and contrast the advantages of two limiting
perspectives on the high-temperature superconductor: weak coupling, in which
correlation effects are treated as a perturbation on an underlying metallic
(although renormalized) Fermi liquid state, and strong coupling, in which the
magnetism is associated with well defined localized spins, and stripes are
viewed as a form of micro-phase separation. We present quantitative indicators
that the latter view better accounts for the observed stripe phenomena in the
cuprates.Comment: 43 pages, 11 figures, submitted to RMP; extensively revised and
greatly improved text; one new figure, one new section, two new appendices
and more reference