Mott localization in the correlated superconductor Cs3C 60 resulting from the molecular Jahn-Teller effect

Abstract

Cs3C60 is a correlated superconductor under pressure, but an insulator under ambient conditions. The mechanism causing this insulating behavior is the combination of Mott localization and the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect. We show evidence from infrared spectroscopy for the dynamic Jahn-Teller distortion. The continuous change with temperature of the splitting of infrared lines is typical Jahn-Teller behavior, reflecting the change in population of solid-state conformers. We conclude that the electronic and magnetic solid-state properties of the insulating state are controlled by molecular phenomena. We estimate the time scale of the dynamic Jahn-Teller effect to be above 10-11 s and the energy difference between the conformers less than 20 cm-1.