X-RAY SCATTERING STUDIES OF CHARGE STRIPES IN La2-xSrxNiO4 (x=0.20-0.33)

The La 2-x Sr x NiO 4 system is isostructural with the high T C superconducting cuprate La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 and is a prototypical system for the understanding of strongly correlated electron-phonon coupling, and the resultant effects on material properties. X-ray scattering studies have been performed on La5/3Sr1/3NiO4 that demonstrate the two-dimensional nature of these charge stripes. Such studies, demonstrate the very high correlation length of the stripes (~ 2000 Å) at low temperatures. We have undertaken a series of experiments measuring the wavevector and charge stripe correlation length on a variety of crystals with the compositions La 2-x Sr x NiO 4 (x=0.20, 0.25, 0.275, 0.30 and 0.33) using ~10 keV X-rays. The results demonstrate that for x=0.275, and above, the charge stripes are highly correlated in a well-ordered crystalline lattice. Measurements of the incommensurability, ε, as a function of temperature for the series revealed that it is commensurate and temperature independent for the x=0.33 sample. For other compositions it is incommensurate and also temperature dependent. However for the x=0.20 and 0.25 crystals a much reduced correlation length was observed suggestive of a charge stripe glass. However, such experiments are sensitive to such charge ordering only in the near (top few micron) surface region. High energy X-rays however can probe the charge stripe ordering within the bulk of the single crystal by utilising the dramatic increase in penetration depth. We have used 130 keV X-rays and demonstrate that in La5/3Sr1/3NiO4 the charge stripes are far less correlated in the bulk than in the near surface region. This reduced correlation length (~300 Å), consistent with neutron scattering measurements, is indicative of a charge stripe glass, reminiscent of that observed below x=0.25, in the near surface region.