Spin-gapped incoherent metal with preformed pairing in the doped antiferromagnetic Mott insulator

Abstract

We investigate how the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator evolves into the $d$-wave BCS superconductor through hole doping. Allowing spin fluctuations in the strong-coupling approach, we find a spin-gapped incoherent metal with preformed pairing as an intermediate phase between the antiferromagnetic Mott insulator and $d$-wave superconductor. This non-Fermi-liquid metal is identified with an infrared stable fixed point in the spin-decomposition gauge theory, analogous to the spin liquid insulator in the slave-boson gauge theory. We consider the single particle spectrum and dynamical spin susceptibility in the anomalous metallic phase, and discuss physical implications.