Quantum antiferromagnetism and highTcsuperconductivity: A close connection between thet−Jmodel and the projected BCS Hamiltonian

Abstract

A connection between quantum antiferromagnetism and high ${T}_{c}$ superconductivity is theoretically investigated by analyzing the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model and its relationships to the Gutzwiller-projected BCS Hamiltonian. After numerical corroboration via exact diagonalization, it is analytically shown that the ground state of the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model at half filling [i.e., the two-dimensional (2D) antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model] is entirely equivalent to the ground state of the Gutzwiller-projected BCS Hamiltonian with strong pairing. Combined with the high wave function overlap between the ground states of the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model and the projected BCS Hamiltonian at moderate doping, this equivalence provides strong support for the existence of superconductivity in the $t\text{\ensuremath{-}}J$ model. The relationship between the ground state of the projected BCS Hamiltonian and Anderson's resonating valence bond state (i.e., the projected BCS ground state) is discussed.