Coexistence of, and Competition between, Superconductivity and Charge-Stripe Order in La 1.6-x Nd 0.4 Sr x CuO 4

Previously we have presented evidence for stripe order of holes and spins in La{sub 1.6-x}Nd{sub 0.4}Sr{sub x}CuO{sub 4} with x=0.12. Here we show, via neutron diffraction measurements of magnetic scattering, that similar order occurs in crystals with x=0.15 and 0.20. Zero-field-cooled magnetization measurements show that all three compositions are also superconducting, with the superconducting transition temperature increasing as the low-temperature staggered magnetization decreases.These results directly demonstrate an intimate connection between stripe correlations and superconductivity. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}