Momentum dependence of Mott gap excitations in optimally doped YBaCuO studied by resonant inelastic X-ray scattering

Ishii, Kenji; Tsutsui, Kenji*; Endo, Yasuo*; Toyama, Takami*; Kuzushita, Kaori; Inami, Toshiya; Owada, Kenji; Maekawa, Sadamichi*; Masui, Takahiko*; Tajima, Setsuko*; Murakami, Yoichi; Mizuki, Junichiro

Mott gap excitations in the optimally doped high- superconductor YBaCuO ( = 93 K) have been studied by the resonant inelastic X-ray scattering method. Anisotropic spectra in the -plane are observed in a twin-free crystal. The excitation from the one-dimensional CuO chain is enhanced at 2 eV near the zone boundary of the direction, while the excitation from the CuO plane is broad at 1.5-4 eV and almost independent of the momentum transfer. Theoretical calculation based on the one-dimensional and two-dimensional Hubbard model reproduces the observed spectra when different values of the on-site Coulomb energy are assumed. The Mott gap of the CuO chain site is found to be much smaller than that of the CuO plane site.