Pseudogap In Cuprate Superconductors Research Articles

Subgap structures and pseudogap in cuprate superconductors: Role of density waves

In scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) conductance curves, the superconducting gap of cuprates is sometimes accompanied by small sub-gap structures at very low energy. This was documented early on near vortex cores and later at zero magnetic field. Using mean-field toy models of coexisting d-wave superconductivity ($d$SC), \emph{d}-form factor density wave ($d$FF-DW), and extended s-wave pair density wave ($s'$PDW), we find agreement with this phenomenon, with $s'$PDW playing a critical role. We explore the high variability of the gap structure with changes in band structure and density wave (DW) wave vector, thus explaining why sub-gap structures may not be a universal feature in cuprates. In the absence of nesting, non-superconducting results never show signs of pseudogap, even for large density waves magnitudes, therefore reinforcing the idea of a distinct origin for the pseudogap, beyond mean-field theory. Therefore, we also briefly consider the effect of DWs on a pre-existing pseudogap.

Nature of charge order in cuprate superconductors

The recently discovered charge order is an intrinsic and universal property of cuprate superconductors, however, its microscopic origin remains debated. Here we review briefly the theoretical work about the nature of charge order in cuprate superconductors. In particular, we show that the electron self-energy obliterates the electron Fermi surface around the antinodal region, leaving behind disconnected Fermi arcs located around the nodal region. The charge-order state on the other hand is driven by the Fermi-arc instability, with a characteristic wavevector corresponding to the hot spots of the Fermi arcs rather than the antinodal nesting vector. Since the pseudogap emanates from the electron self-energy, the Fermi arc, charge order, and pseudogap in cuprate superconductors are intimately related each other.

Charge order driven by Fermi-arc instability and its connection with pseudogap in cuprate superconductors

The recently discovered charge order is a generic feature of cuprate superconductors, however, its microscopic origin remains debated. Within the framework of the fermion-spin theory, the nature of charge order in the pseudogap phase and its evolution with doping are studied by taking into account the electron self-energy (then the pseudogap) effect. It is shown that the antinodal region of the electron Fermi surface is suppressed by the electron self-energy, and then the low-energy electron excitations occupy the disconnected Fermi arcs located around the nodal region. In particular, the charge order state is driven by the Fermi-arc instability, with a characteristic wave vector corresponding to the hot spots of the Fermi arcs rather than the antinodal nesting vector. Moreover, although the Fermi arc increases its length as a function of doping, the charge order wave vector reduces almost linearity with the increase of doping. The theory also indicates that the Fermi arc, charge order and pseudogap in cuprate superconductors are intimately related to each other, and all of them emanates from the electron self-energy due to the interaction between electrons by the exchange of spin excitations.

Origin of the pseudogap in cuprate superconductors from quantum cluster theories

We analyze the origin of the pseudogap present in cuprate superconductors. We elucidate the mechanism of pseudogap formation close to the Mott localization within the dynamical cluster approach (DCA) to the Hubbard model. As the Coulomb interaction is increased, cluster–bath Kondo states are destroyed and a nondegenerate bound cluster state is formed, leading to a pseudogap. This occurs first at the antinodal point due to its weaker coupling to the bath, explaining the momentum dependence of the pseudogap. We find that the character of the pseudogap is related to breaking d-wave pairs.

Variational Monte Carlo Study of Spin-Gapped Normal State and BCS–BEC Crossover in Two-Dimensional Attractive Hubbard Model

We study properties of normal, superconducting (SC) and CDW states for an attractive Hubbard model on the square lattice, using a variational Monte Carlo method. In trial wave functions, we introduce an interspinon binding factor, indispensable to induce a spin-gap transition in the normal state, in addition to the onsite attractive and intersite repulsive factors. It is found that, in the normal state, as the interaction strength $|U|/t$ increases, a first-order spin-gap transition arises at $|U_{\rm c}|\sim W$ ($W$: band width) from a Fermi liquid to a spin-gapped state, which is conductive through hopping of doublons. In the SC state, we confirm by analysis of various quantities that the mechanism of superconductivity undergoes a smooth crossover at around $|U_{\ma{co}}|\sim |U_{\rm c}|$ from a BCS type to a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) type, as $|U|/t$ increases. For $|U|<|U_{\ma{co}}|$, quantities such as the condensation energy, a SC correlation function and the condensate fraction of onsite pairs exhibit behavior of $\sim \exp(-t/|U|)$, as expected from the BCS theory. For $|U|>|U_{\ma{co}}|$, quantities such as the energy gain in the SC transition and superfluid stiffness, which is related to the cost of phase coherence, behave as $\sim t^2/|U|\propto T_{\rm c}$, as expected in a bosonic scheme. In this regime, the SC transition is induced by a gain in kinetic energy, in contrast with the BCS theory. We refer to the relevance to the pseudogap in cuprate superconductors.

Doping dependence of thermodynamic properties in cuprate superconductors

The doping and temperature dependence of the thermodynamic properties in cuprate superconductors is studied based on the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism. By considering the interplay between the superconducting gap and normal-state pseudogap, the some main features of the doping and temperature dependence of the specific-heat, the condensation energy, and the upper critical field are well reproduced. In particular, it is shown that in analogy to the domelike shape of the doping dependence of the superconducting transition temperature, the maximal upper critical field occurs around the optimal doping, and then decreases in both underdoped and overdoped regimes. Our results also show that the humplike anomaly of the specific-heat near superconducting transition temperature in the underdoped regime can be attributed to the emergence of the normal-state pseudogap in cuprate superconductors.

Two gaps with one energy scale in cuprate superconductors

The interplay between the superconducting gap and normal-state pseudogap in cuprate superconductors is studied based on the kinetic energy driven superconducting mechanism. It is shown that the interaction between charge carriers and spins directly from the kinetic energy by exchanging spin excitations in the higher power of the doping concentration induces the normal-state pseudogap state in the particle-hole channel and superconducting state in the particle-particle channel, therefore there is a coexistence of the superconducting gap and normal-state pseudogap in the whole superconducting dome. This normal-state pseudogap is closely related to the quasiparticle coherent weight, and is a necessary ingredient for superconductivity in cuprate superconductors. In particular, both the normal-state pseudogap and superconducting gap are dominated by one energy scale, and they are the result of the strong electron correlation.

Spin-gapped wave function as normal state in attractive Hubbard model

With the pseudogap in cuprate superconductors in mind, we study an attractive Hubbard model on the square lattice, in which the mechanism of superconductivity undergoes a crossover at | U co|/ t from a BCS type to a Bose-Einstein condensation type, as the interaction strength | U |/ t increases. Correspondingly, for | U |>| U co|, a normatate, realized for T > T c, is considered to exhibit gapped behavior. We try to construct such a state and study its properties using a variational Monte Carlo method, which treats the local correlation accurately and can connect the weak-and strong-correlation limits continuously. We introduce an intersite correlation factor between antiparallel spins in nearest-neighbor sites, in addition to the onsite (Gutzwiller) projection. This factor brings about a first-order transition from a metal to a spin-gapped phase at | U= | U c |= W (bandwidth). For | U |>| U c|, a gap opens in the spin degree of freedom, whereas the charge sector remains gapless. In this phase, conductivity is caused by a hopping of doublons.

Possible competing order-induced Fermi arcs in cuprate superconductors

We investigate the scenario of competing order (CO) induced Fermi arcs and pseudogap in cuprate superconductors. For hole-type cuprates, both phenomena as functions of temperature and doping level can be accounted for if the CO vanishes at T ∗ above the superconducting transition T c and the CO wave-vector Q is parallel to the antinodal direction. In contrast, the absence of these phenomena and the non-monotonic d -wave gap in electron-type cuprates may be attributed to T ∗ < T c and a CO wave-vector Q parallel to the nodal direction.

The Ground State of the Pseudogap in Cuprate Superconductors

We present studies of the electronic structure of La(2-x)BaxCuO4, a system where the superconductivity is strongly suppressed as static spin and charge orders or "stripes" develop near the doping level of x = (1/8). Using angle-resolved photoemission and scanning tunneling microscopy, we detect an energy gap at the Fermi surface with magnitude consistent with d-wave symmetry and with linear density of states, vanishing only at four nodal points, even when superconductivity disappears at x = (1/8). Thus, the nonsuperconducting, striped state at x = (1/8) is consistent with a phase-incoherent d-wave superconductor whose Cooper pairs form spin-charge-ordered structures instead of becoming superconducting.

Distinguishing models for the pseudo-gap in cuprate superconductors by probing the spatial distribution of impurity states

We argue that the spatial distribution of resonant impurity states in underdoped high-Tc superconductors serves as a probe for distinguishing different theoretical models for the pseudogap state. Superconducting pairing fluctuations are characterized by off-diagonal short-range order which distinguishes them from other possible instabilities that could give rise to the pseudogap phenomena. Due to the mixture of particle and hole states in a superconductor an impurity resonant state is composed of both a particle and a hole-like component. On the contrary a state with a gap induced by a particle-hole instability, like a d-density wave (DDW) or spin-density wave (SDW), exhibits no off-diagonal short-range order and consequently a resonant impurity state consists of only one either particle or hole-like component. Furthermore, a charge-spin separated state shows no resonance state at all inside the gap region.

Cuprate pseudogap: Competing order parameters or precursor superconductivity

In this paper we compare two broad classes of theories for the pseudogap in cuprate superconductors. The comparison in made in reference to measurements of the superfluid density, $\rho_s(T,x)$, in $YBa_2CuO_{7- \delta}$ films having a wide range of stoichiometries, $\delta$, or, hole doping, $x$. The theoretical challenge raised by these (and previous) data is to understand why the T-dependence of $\rho_s(T,x)$ is insensitive to the fermionic excitation gap $\Delta(T,x)$, which opens in the normal state and persists into the superconducting state, when presumably $\rho_s(T)$ is governed, at least in part, by fermionic excitations. Indeed, $\rho_s(T,x)$ seems to have a BCS-like dependence on $T_c(x)$, which, although not unexpected, is not straightforward to understand in pseudogapped superconductors where $T_c(x)$ and the excitation gap have little in common. Here, we contrast "extrinsic" and "intrinsic" theoretical approaches to the pseudogap and argue that the former (for example, associated with a competing order parameter) exhibits more obvious departures from BCS-like $T$ dependences in $\rho_s(T)$ than approaches which associate the pseudogap with the superconductivity itself. Examples of the latter are Fermi liquid based schemes as well as a pair fluctuation mean field theory. Thus far, the measured behavior of the superfluid density appears to argue against an extrinsic interpretation of the pseudogap, and supports instead its intrinsic origin.

Magnetic field effect on the pseudogap temperature within precursor superconductivity.

We determine the magnetic-field dependence of the pseudogap closing temperature T* within a precursor superconductivity scenario. Detailed calculations with an anisotropic lattice model with d-wave superconductivity account for a recently determined experimental relation in BSCCO between the pseudogap closing field and the pseudogap temperature at zero field, as well as for the weak initial dependence of T* at low fields. Our results indicate that the available experimental data are fully compatible with a superconducting origin of the pseudogap in cuprate superconductors.

EFFECTS OF c-AXIS HOPPING IN THE INTERLAYER TUNNELING MODEL OF HIGH-Tc LAYERED CUPRATES

We consider the interlayer pair-tunneling model for layered cuprates, including an effective single particle hopping along the c-axis. A phenomenological suppression of the c-axis hopping matrix element, by the pseudogap in cuprate superconductors, is incorporated. At optimal doping, quantities characteristic to the superconducting state, such as the transition temperature and the superconducting gap are calculated. Results from our calculations are consistent with the experimental observations with the noteworthy point that, the superconducting gap as a function of temperature shows excellent match to the experimental data. Predictions within the model, regarding T c variation with interlayer coupling, are natural outcomes which could be tested further.