Enhancement of the incommensurate magnetic order by an applied magnetic field in underdoped YBa2Cu3O6.45

The discovery of quantum oscillations in the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O6.5 above its critical magnetic field showed that the concepts of Fermi liquid theory are applicable to the strongly correlated electron system in the underdoped cuprates. However, the observation of small electron pockets in these experiments puts a new question as such pockets are incompatible with band structure calculations and the Fermi surface topology found in angle-resolved photoemission at zero magnetic field. Our recent neutron scattering experiments on YBa2Cu3O6.45 reveal an enhancement of the static incommensurate magnetic signal at low temperatures when applying an external magnetic field. This field-enhanced magnetic order may lead to a Fermi surface reconstruction and thus provide a natural explanation for the unexpected Fermi surface topology observed in the quantum oscillation experiments at high magnetic fields.