Magnetic-Field-Induced Soft-Mode Quantum Phase Transition in the High-Temperature Superconductor La1.855Sr0.145CuO4: An Inelastic Neutron-Scattering Study

• Published in: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, vol. 102, num. 17, p. 177006
• Publication date: 2009

Inelastic neutron-scattering experiments on the high-temperature superconductor La1.855Sr0.145CuO4 reveal a magnetic excitation gap Delta that decreases continuously upon application of a magnetic field perpendicular to the CuO2 planes. The gap vanishes at the critical field required to induce long-range incommensurate antiferromagnetic order, providing compelling evidence for a field-induced soft-mode driven quantum phase transition.

Keywords: SPIN; DYNAMICS; STATE; GAP; ORDER

Reference

• LQM-ARTICLE-2010-005
• doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.177006
• View record in Web of Science

Record created on 2010-02-08, modified on 2012-03-21