Electronic phase separation in lightly-doped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$

Abstract

The hole concentration dependence of the magnetic correlations is studied in very lightly-doped La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ ($x<$0.02), which shows coexistence of a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic (AF) long-range ordered phase and a spin-glass phase at low temperatures. It is found that the spin-glass phase in the coexistence region also shows a diagonal spin modulation as in the pure spin-glass phase in La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$ (0.02$\le x\le$0.055). Below $x\sim$0.02 the diagonal stripe structure is the same as that in $x\sim$0.02 with a volume fraction almost proportional to hole concentration, suggesting that electronic phase separation of the doped holes occurs so that some regions with hole concentration $h_c\sim$0.02 and the rest with $h_c\sim$0 are formed. This result also indicates that the transition between the AF and spin-glass phase around $x$=0.02 is first order.