Hourglass dispersion in overdoped single-layered manganites

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Jun 15;108(24):247209. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.108.247209. Epub 2012 Jun 13.

Abstract

The incommensurate stripelike magnetic ordering in two single-layered manganites, Nd0.33Sr1.67MnO4 and Pr0.33Ca1.67MnO4, is found to exhibit an hourglasslike excitation spectrum very similar to that seen in various cuprates superconductors, but only for sufficiently short correlation lengths. Several characteristic features of an hourglass dispersion can be identified: enhancement of intensity at the merging of the incommensurate branches, rotation of the intensity maxima with higher energy transfer, and suppression of the outward-dispersing branches at low energy. The correlation length of the magnetic ordering and the large ratio of intra- to interstripe couplings are identified as the decisive parameters causing the hourglass shape of the spectrum.