Thermal Conductivity of Pr_{1.3-x}La_{0.7}Ce_xCuO_4 Single Crystals and Signatures of Stripes in an Electron-Doped Cuprate

Abstract

It was recently demonstrated that the anisotropic phonon heat transport behavior is a good probe of the stripe formation in La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 (LSCO) [X. F. Sun {\it et al.}, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 67}, 104503 (2003)]. Using this probe, we examined an electron-doped cuprate Pr_{1.3-x}La_{0.7}Ce_xCuO_4 (PLCCO) and found that essentially the same features as those in LSCO are observed. Moreover, the in-plane resistivity ρ_{ab} of lightly-doped PLCCO shows metallic behavior (dρ_{ab}/dT > 0) in the Néel ordered state with a mobility comparable to that in LSCO. It is discussed that these peculiar properties in common with LSCO signify the existence of stripes in electron-doped cuprates.

4 pages, 4 figures, revised version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Lett