Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking by Charge Stripes in the High Pressure Phase of Superconducting<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msub><mml:mi>La</mml:mi><mml:mn>1.875</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi>Ba</mml:mi><mml:mn>0.125</mml:mn></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi>CuO</mml:mi><mml:mn>4</mml:mn></mml:msub></mml:math>

M. Hücker, M. v. Zimmermann, M. Debessai, J. S. Schilling, J. M. Tranquada, Genda Gu

Abstract

In those cases where charge-stripe order has been observed in cuprates, the crystal structure is such that the average rotational symmetry of the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes is reduced from fourfold to twofold. As a result, one could argue that the reduced lattice symmetry is essential to the existence of stripe order. We use pressure to restore the average fourfold symmetry in a single crystal of ${\mathrm{La}}_{1.875}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{0.125}{\mathrm{CuO}}_{4}$, and show by x-ray diffraction that charge-stripe order still occurs. Thus, electronically driven stripe order can spontaneously break the lattice symmetry.

Locations

• Physical Review Letters - View
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