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Electron-lattice interactions strongly renormalize the charge-transfer energy in the spin-chain cuprate Li2CuO2.
- Source :
-
Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2016 Feb 17; Vol. 7, pp. 10563. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Feb 17. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Strongly correlated insulators are broadly divided into two classes: Mott-Hubbard insulators, where the insulating gap is driven by the Coulomb repulsion U on the transition-metal cation, and charge-transfer insulators, where the gap is driven by the charge-transfer energy Δ between the cation and the ligand anions. The relative magnitudes of U and Δ determine which class a material belongs to, and subsequently the nature of its low-energy excitations. These energy scales are typically understood through the local chemistry of the active ions. Here we show that the situation is more complex in the low-dimensional charge-transfer insulator Li2CuO2, where Δ has a large non-electronic component. Combining resonant inelastic X-ray scattering with detailed modelling, we determine how the elementary lattice, charge, spin and orbital excitations are entangled in this material. This results in a large lattice-driven renormalization of Δ, which significantly reshapes the fundamental electronic properties of Li2CuO2.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2041-1723
- Volume :
- 7
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Nature communications
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 26884151
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10563