Charge ordering in high-temperature superconductors visualized by scanning tunneling microscopy.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Superconductivity

Background:

• Charge ordering in cuprate superconductors, discovered in 1995, is a key phenomenon.
• Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is crucial for visualizing charge ordering in real space.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review STM studies of charge ordering in cuprate and iron-based superconductors.
• To discuss the origins and interplay of charge ordering with superconductivity.

Main Methods:

• Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) imaging.
• Analysis of charge ordered patterns in different superconductor families.

Main Results:

• Cuprate superconductors exhibit ubiquitous, checkerboard-like charge ordering patterns.
• Iron-based superconductors display diverse charge ordered states with varied interplay with superconductivity.

Conclusions:

• Charge ordering is a fundamental characteristic of cuprate superconductors, potentially linked to high-temperature superconductivity.
• STM provides critical real-space insights into the complex charge ordering phenomena in superconductors.