Abstract
Search for novel electronically ordered states of matter emerging near quantum phase transitions is an intriguing frontier of condensed matter physics. In ruthenates, the interplay between Coulomb correlations among the 4d electronic states and their spin-orbit interactions, lead to complex forms of electronic phenomena. Here we investigate the double layered Sr3(Ru1−xMnx)2O7 and its doping-induced quantum phase transition from a metal to an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator. Using spectroscopic imaging with the scanning tunneling microscope, we visualize the evolution of the electronic states in real- and momentum-space. We find a partial-gap at the Fermi energy that develops with doping to form a weak Mott insulating state. Near the quantum phase transition, we discover a spatial electronic reorganization into a commensurate checkerboard charge order. These findings bear a resemblance to the universal charge order in the pseudogap phase of cuprates and demonstrate the ubiquity of charge order that emanates from doped Mott insulators.
Highlights
Search for novel electronically ordered states of matter emerging near quantum phase transitions is an intriguing frontier of condensed matter physics
Using spectroscopic imaging with the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), we investigate the doping-induced metallic to AFM and Mott-insulating quantum phase transition (QPT) in Sr3(Ru1−xMnx)2O7 to explore whether broken electronic symmetry states emerge near the QPT
Our experiments reveal non-dispersive commensurate charge order instability to emerge near the metal to AFM Mott insulator transition in Sr3Ru2O7
Summary
Search for novel electronically ordered states of matter emerging near quantum phase transitions is an intriguing frontier of condensed matter physics. The most prominent is the magnetic field-tuned quantum critical behavior and emergent electronic nematic order[4–6] with spin density wave instability[7] seen in transport and neutron scattering Doping acts as another pertinent non-thermal tuning parameter of the electronic states of Sr3Ru2O7. X-ray absorption experiments[15] reveal an unexpected 3+ valence of the Mn suggesting that Mn doping does not introduce holes to the Fermi surface, rather tunes the electronic states likely by structural distortions as well as enhanced Coulomb correlations with increased doping. Such a structural distortion clearly impacts the electronic structure and makes it susceptible towards magnetic instabilities[16].
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