Published in

American Physical Society, Physical Review Letters, 25(114)

DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.257203

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First-Order Melting of a Weak Spin-Orbit Mott Insulator into a Correlated Metal

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

The electronic phase diagram of the weak spin-orbit Mott insulator (Sr₁−xLax)₃Ir₂O₇ is determined via an exhaustive experimental study. Upon doping electrons via La substitution, an immediate collapse in resistivity occurs along with a narrow regime of nanoscale phase separation comprised of antiferromagnetic, insulating regions and paramagnetic, metallic puddles persisting until x≈0.04. Continued electron doping results in an abrupt, first-order phase boundary where the Néel state is suppressed and a homogenous, correlated, metallic state appears with an enhanced spin susceptibility and local moments. As the metallic state is stabilized, a weak structural distortion develops and suggests a competing instability with the parent spin-orbit Mott state. ; Peer reviewed: Yes ; NRC publication: Yes