Transport properties of the single-crystal La2-xBaxCuO4 (0≤x≤0.11)

We report on the temperature dependence of the in-plane electrical resistivity rho(ab) and the in-plane Hall coefficient R-H in various magnetic fields of the single-crystal La2-xBaxCuO4 with x = 0.083 and 0.11. In x = 0.11, which is close to x = 1/8, where the superconductivity is strongly suppressed, a clear jump in rho(ab) and a drop in R-H have been observed at T-d2 similar to 53 K, where the structural phase transition between the orthorhombic mid-temperature and tetragonal low-temperature phases occurs. Moreover, a sign reversal of R-H has been observed below similar to25 K and the magnitude of the sign reversal increases with increasing magnetic field. In x = 0.083, on the other hand, there is neither jump in rho(ab) nor drop in R-H at T-d2, and also no sign reversal in R-H at low temperatures even in magnetic fields up to 9 T. In conclusion, there is no doubt that a static stripe order of holes and spins, observed in La1.6-xNd0.4SrxCuO4 with x similar to 1/8, is formed below T-d2 also in La2-xBaxCuO4 with x similar to 1/8. The R-H in the stripe-ordered state has a negative value, which is consistent with the recent theory by Prelovsek et al. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.