Strength of correlations in electron-and hole-doped cuprates

TY - JOUR

T1 - Strength of correlations in electron-and hole-doped cuprates

AU - Weber, C.

AU - Haule, K.

AU - Kotliar, G.

PY - 2010/8

Y1 - 2010/8

N2 - The introduction of holes in a parent compound consisting of copper oxide layers results in high-temperature superconductivity. It is also possible to dope the cuprate parent compound with electrons1, 2, 3. The physical properties of these electron-doped materials bear some similarities to but also significant differences from those of their hole-doped counterparts. Here, we use a recently developed first-principles method4 to study the electron-doped cuprates and elucidate the deep physical reasons behind their behaviour being so different from that of the hole-doped materials. The crystal structure of the electron-doped compounds is characterized by a lack of apical oxygens, and we find that it results in a parent compound that is a Slater insulator—a material in which the insulating behaviour is the result of the presence of magnetic long-range order. This is in sharp contrast with the hole-doped materials, which are insulating owing to the strong electronic correlations but not owing to magnetism.

AB - The introduction of holes in a parent compound consisting of copper oxide layers results in high-temperature superconductivity. It is also possible to dope the cuprate parent compound with electrons1, 2, 3. The physical properties of these electron-doped materials bear some similarities to but also significant differences from those of their hole-doped counterparts. Here, we use a recently developed first-principles method4 to study the electron-doped cuprates and elucidate the deep physical reasons behind their behaviour being so different from that of the hole-doped materials. The crystal structure of the electron-doped compounds is characterized by a lack of apical oxygens, and we find that it results in a parent compound that is a Slater insulator—a material in which the insulating behaviour is the result of the presence of magnetic long-range order. This is in sharp contrast with the hole-doped materials, which are insulating owing to the strong electronic correlations but not owing to magnetism.

U2 - 10.1038/nphys1706

DO - 10.1038/nphys1706

M3 - Article

SN - 1745-2473

VL - 6

SP - 574

EP - 578

JO - Nature Physics

JF - Nature Physics

IS - 8

ER -