1204.2152 (J. Chang et al.)

Spin density wave induced disordering of the vortex lattice in
superconducting La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$    [PDF]

J. Chang, J. S. White, M. Laver, C. J. Bowell, S. P. Brown, A. T. Holmes, L. Maechler, S. Strassle, R. Gilardi, S. Gerber, T. Kurosawa, N. Momono, M. Oda, M. Ido, O. J. Lipscombe, S. M. Hayden, C. D. Dewhurst, R. Vavrin, J. Gavilano, J. Kohlbrecher, E. M. Forgan, J. Mesot

We use small angle neutron scattering to study the superconducting vortex lattice in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ as a function of doping and magnetic field. We show that near optimally doping the vortex lattice coordination and the superconducting coherence length $\xi$ are controlled by a van-Hove singularity crossing the Fermi level near the Brillouin zone boundary. The vortex lattice properties change dramatically as a spin-density-wave instability is approached upon underdoping. The Bragg glass paradigm provides a good description of this regime and suggests that SDW order acts as a novel source of disorder on the vortex lattice.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1204.2152