Effective SU(2) theory for the pseudogap state

X. Montiel (1, 2) , T. Kloss (1, 3) , C. Pépin (1)

1 IPHT - Institut de Physique Théorique - UMR CNRS 3681
2 University of London [London]
3 GT - Laboratory of Quantum Theory

This paper exposes in a detailed manner the recent findings about the SU(2) scenario for the underdoped phase of the Cuprate superconductors. The SU(2) symmetry is formulated as a rotation between the $d$-wave SC phase and a $d$-wave charge order. We define the operators responsible for the SU(2) rotations and we derive the non-linear $\sigma$-model associated with it. In this framework, we demonstrate that SU(2) fluctuations are massless in finite portions of the Brillouin Zone corresponding to the anti-nodal regions ($0,$$\pi$), ($\pi,0$). We argue that the presence of SU(2) fluctuations in the anti-nodal region leads to the opening of Fermi arcs around the Fermi surface and to the formation of the pseudo-gap. Moreover, we show that SU(2) fluctuations lead, in turn, to the emergence of a finite momentum SC order -or Pair Density Wave (PDW)- and more importantly to a new kind of excitonic particle-hole pairs liquid, the Resonant Excitonic State (RES), which is made of patches of preformed particle-hole pairs with multiple momenta. When the RES liquid becomes critical, we demonstrate that electronic scattering through the critical modes leads to anomalous transport properties. This new finding can account for the Strange Metal (SM) phase at finite temperature, on the right hand side of the SC dome, shedding light on another notoriously mysterious part of the phase diagram of the Cuprates.

Domains: Superconductivity [cond-mat.supr-con]

X. Montiel, T. Kloss, C. Pépin. Effective SU(2) theory for the pseudogap state. Physical Review B: Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1998-2015), 2017, 95, pp.104510. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevB.95.104510⟩. ⟨cea-01490539⟩