STM/STS study on 4α x 4α electronic charge order of superconducting Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

We performed low-bias STM measurements on underdoped Bi2212 crystals, and confirmed that a two-dimensional (2D) superstructure with a periodicity of four lattice constants (4a) is formed within the Cu-O plane at T < T-c. This 4a x 4a superstructure, oriented along the Cu-O bonding direction, is nondispersive and more intense in lightly doped samples with a zero temperature pseudogap (ZTPG) than in samples with a d-wave gap. The nondispersive 4a x 4a superstructure was clearly observed within the ZTPG or d-wave gap, while it tended to fade out outside the gaps. The present results provide a useful test for various models proposed for an electronic order hidden in the underdoped region of high-T-c cuprates.