Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting
Charge order pervades the phase diagrams of quantum materials where it competes with superconducting and magnetic phases, hosts electronic phase transitions and topological defects, and couples to the lattice generating intricate structural distortions. Incommensurate charge order is readily stabili...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Physical Review X |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.15.011007 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841533606995951616 |
|---|---|
| author | Noah Schnitzer Berit H. Goodge Gregory Powers Jaewook Kim Sang-Wook Cheong Ismail El Baggari Lena F. Kourkoutis |
| author_facet | Noah Schnitzer Berit H. Goodge Gregory Powers Jaewook Kim Sang-Wook Cheong Ismail El Baggari Lena F. Kourkoutis |
| author_sort | Noah Schnitzer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Charge order pervades the phase diagrams of quantum materials where it competes with superconducting and magnetic phases, hosts electronic phase transitions and topological defects, and couples to the lattice generating intricate structural distortions. Incommensurate charge order is readily stabilized in manganese oxides, where it is associated with anomalous electronic and magnetic properties, but its nanoscale structural inhomogeneity complicates precise characterization and understanding of its relationship with competing phases. Leveraging atomic-resolution variable-temperature cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy, we characterize the thermal evolution of charge order as it transforms from its ground state in a model manganite system. We find that mobile networks of discommensurations and dislocations generate phase inhomogeneity and induce global incommensurability in an otherwise lattice-locked modulation. Driving the order to melt at high temperatures, the discommensuration density grows, and regions of order locally decouple from the lattice periodicity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-33155ff6fb124b5ebe6a44b44246df3f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2160-3308 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review X |
| spelling | doaj-art-33155ff6fb124b5ebe6a44b44246df3f2025-01-15T15:04:18ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review X2160-33082025-01-0115101100710.1103/PhysRevX.15.011007Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order MeltingNoah SchnitzerBerit H. GoodgeGregory PowersJaewook KimSang-Wook CheongIsmail El BaggariLena F. KourkoutisCharge order pervades the phase diagrams of quantum materials where it competes with superconducting and magnetic phases, hosts electronic phase transitions and topological defects, and couples to the lattice generating intricate structural distortions. Incommensurate charge order is readily stabilized in manganese oxides, where it is associated with anomalous electronic and magnetic properties, but its nanoscale structural inhomogeneity complicates precise characterization and understanding of its relationship with competing phases. Leveraging atomic-resolution variable-temperature cryogenic scanning transmission electron microscopy, we characterize the thermal evolution of charge order as it transforms from its ground state in a model manganite system. We find that mobile networks of discommensurations and dislocations generate phase inhomogeneity and induce global incommensurability in an otherwise lattice-locked modulation. Driving the order to melt at high temperatures, the discommensuration density grows, and regions of order locally decouple from the lattice periodicity.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.15.011007 |
| spellingShingle | Noah Schnitzer Berit H. Goodge Gregory Powers Jaewook Kim Sang-Wook Cheong Ismail El Baggari Lena F. Kourkoutis Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting Physical Review X |
| title | Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting |
| title_full | Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting |
| title_fullStr | Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting |
| title_short | Atomic-Scale Tracking of Topological Defect Motion and Incommensurate Charge Order Melting |
| title_sort | atomic scale tracking of topological defect motion and incommensurate charge order melting |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevX.15.011007 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT noahschnitzer atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting AT berithgoodge atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting AT gregorypowers atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting AT jaewookkim atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting AT sangwookcheong atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting AT ismailelbaggari atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting AT lenafkourkoutis atomicscaletrackingoftopologicaldefectmotionandincommensuratechargeordermelting |