X-ray scans reveal broad domain walls in cuprate superconductors

Researchers have mapped the internal structure of the cuprate superconductor La1.675⁢Eu0.2⁢Sr0.125⁢CuO4 using scanning three-dimensional x-ray diffraction, a technique that overcomes longstanding challenges in visualizing bulk material at a microscopic level. The work reveals remarkably broad, tetragonallike domain wall regions within the material’s orthorhombic crystal structure, suggesting a more disordered internal structure than previously understood. Characterizing these structural domains at the ID11 beamline between 300 and 100 K further exposes a fine microstructure of orthorhombiclike stripes embedded within a tetragonal matrix, a finding with significant consequences for interpreting the interplay between structural and electronic heterogeneity in these complex materials. Domain walls reach approximately 150 nanometers. This advance establishes 3DXRD as a powerful tool for understanding how microstructure governs material functionality. 3DXRD Resolves Bulk Microstructure in La1.675⁢Eu0.2⁢Sr0.125⁢CuO4 Scanning three-dimensional x-ray diffraction (3DXRD) has revealed unexpectedly wide regions where the crystal structure shifts within the cuprate superconductor La1. 675⁢Eu0. 2⁢Sr0. 125⁢CuO4, challenging previous assumptions about the material’s internal order. These domain walls, measuring in the hundreds of nanometers, appear tetragonal-like within a crystal structure generally considered orthorhombic, indicating a degree of structural disorder not previously…