Fermi surface reconstruction by a charge density wave with finite correlation length

Abstract

Even a small amplitude charge-density-wave (CDW) can reconstruct a Fermi surface, giving rise to new quantum oscillation frequencies. Here, we investigate quantum oscillations when the CDW has a finite correlation length $\xi$ -- a case relevant to the hole-doped cuprates. By considering the Berry phase induced by a spatially varying CDW phase, we derive an effective Dingle factor that depends exponentially on the ratio of the cyclotron orbit radius, $R_c$, to $\xi$. In the context of YBCO, we conclude that the values of $\xi$ reported to date for bidirectional CDW order are, prima facie, too short to account for the observed Fermi surface reconstruction; on the other hand, the values of $\xi$ for the unidirectional CDW are just long enough.