Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering to study changes in the HTS phase diagram induced by strain and confinement

Research Project, 2021 – 2024

The microscopic origin of the phenomenology of high-Tc superconductors is one of the grand challenges in solid state physics. Among the various local orders populating the phase diagram of these compounds, a special role is played by charge order: as recently discovered, it is ubiquitous in the phase diagram, in a fluctuating form, being very robust as a function of the doping and existing at all temperatures.Here I propose to study the charge order by using resonant Inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) on state-of-the-art samples. RIXS – which I have mastered during my VR International Postdoc - is the best technique for the detection of charge modulations. The samples are HTS thin films, whose growth I have optimized during my PhD at Chalmers: they represent a unique platform, where charge order can be modified by playing with various parameters, as strain and confinement.By complementing RIXS with transport studies, I plan to check how changes in charge modulations reflect in variations of the normal/superconducting state. RIXS will be performed in synchrotron-based world lead facilities, as the MAX IV, a research infrastructure on which Chalmers is massively investing. Sample growth and transport studies will occur in the cleanroom of the MC2 department at Chalmers.Through several targeted experiments, I will unveil the secrets behind charge order and its role in ruling the properties of cuprates, in particular the high-Tc superconductivity and the strange metal behavior.