Coupling between dynamic magnetic and charge-order correlations in the cuprate superconductor Nd_2-xCe_xCuO₄

Charge order has now been observed in several cuprate high-temperature superconductors. We report a resonant inelastic x-ray scattering experiment on the electron-doped cuprate Nd2-xCexCuO4 that demonstrates the existence of dynamic correlations at the charge-order wave vector. Upon cooling we observe a softening in the electronic response, which has been predicted to occur for a d-wave charge order in electron-doped cuprates. At low temperatures, the energy range of these excitations coincides with that of the dispersive magnetic modes known as paramagnons. Furthermore, measurements where the polarization of the scattered photon is resolved indicate that the dynamic response at the charge-order wave vector primarily involves spin-flip excitations. Overall, our findings indicate a coupling between dynamic magnetic and charge-order correlations in the cuprates.