Field-Induced Magnetic Order and Thermal Conductivity in La2−xBaxCuO4

Abstract

The thermal conductivity in the ab plane, κab, of La2−xBaxCuO4 (x = 0.06, 0.08, 0.10, 0.11) single crystals has been measured in magnetic fields parallel to the c axis up to 14 T. By the application of magnetic field, κab has been found not to be suppressed for x = 0.06 and 0.08, while it has been found to be suppressed at low temperatures below about the superconducting transition temperature for x = 0.10 and 0.11. The suppression of κab is smaller for x = 0.11 than for x = 0.10. These results strongly support the stripe‐pinning model for the field‐induced magnetic order where the dynamically fluctuating stripes of spins and holes are regarded as being pinned by vortex cores, leading to the development of the static stripe order.