Doping dependence of the dipolar correlation length scale in metallic SrTiO3
Superconducting domes, ubiquitous across a variety of quantum materials, are often understood as a window in which pairing is favored, opened by the fluctuations of competing orders. Yet, the understanding of how such a window closes is missing. Here, we show that inelastic neutron scattering, by quantifying a length scale associated with the dipoles correlation, ℓ<sub>0</sub>, addresses this issue. We find that, within the experimental precision, the end of the superconducting dome coincides with the end of a highly polarizable state (in which ℓ<sub>0</sub> is longer than the interatomic distance). Thus, the superconducting dome is driven by the competition between the increase in the density of states and the inevitable collapse of the quantum paraelectric phase. This is compatible with a crucial role played by the soft ferroelectric mode in driving superconductivity. Such a scenario may also be at work in other quantum paraelectric materials, either bulk or at interfaces.
Authors
- A. Ivanov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5092-8937)
- B. Roessli
- Céline Byl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1927-6480)
- T. Fennell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0063-7517)
- Benoı̂t Baptiste (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3762-0663)
- Y. Tomioka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9028-1691)
- Benoît Fauqué (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3855-8371)
- Kamran Behnia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8997-5645)
- P. Bourges (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9494-0789)
- Shan Jiang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7895-2058)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Université Sorbonne Nouvelle (FR)
- Collège de France (FR)
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Paul Scherrer Institute (CH)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- Laboratoire de Physique et d’Étude des Matériaux (FR)
- Institut Langevin (FR)
- Institut de Physique (FR)
- Institut Laue-Langevin (FR)
- Laboratoire Léon Brillouin (FR)
- CEA Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Institut de minéralogie, de physique des matériaux et de cosmochimie (FR)
- NIST Center for Neutron Research (US)
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (JP)
- ESPCI Paris (FR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2025-03-07
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56806-w
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Electronic and Structural Properties of Oxides
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.55
Funders
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Paul Scherrer Institut
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science