Theory of the nodal nematic quantum phase transition in superconductors

Abstract

We study the character of an Ising nematic quantum phase transition (QPT) deep inside a d-wave superconducting state with nodal quasiparticles in a two-dimensional tetragonal crystal. We find that, within a 1/N expansion, the transition is continuous. To leading order in 1/N, quantum fluctuations enhance the dispersion anisotropy of the nodal excitations, and cause strong scattering which critically broadens the quasiparticle (qp) peaks in the spectral function, except in a narrow wedge in momentum space near the Fermi surface where the qp's remain sharp. We also consider the possible existence of a nematic glass phase in the presence of weak disorder. Some possible implications for cuprate physics are also discussed.

9 page, 4 figures, an error in one of expressions corrected and a new author was added. New references and footnotes are added and this is the version to appear in PRB

References in corpus (6)

• An Intrinsic Bond-Centered Electronic Glass with Unidirectional Domains in Underdoped Cuprates
• Electronic liquid crystal state in the high-temperature superconductor YBCO(6.45)
• Formation of a Nematic Fluid at High Fields in Sr3Ru2O7
• Algebraic spin liquid as the mother of many competing orders
• The Ground State of the Pseudogap in Cuprate Superconductors
• Spin dynamics in the pseudogap state of a high-temperature superconductor

Cited by in corpus (3)

• How Cooper pairs vanish approaching the Mott insulator in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+d
• Renormalization group theory of nematic ordering in d-wave superconductors
• Nodal quasiparticles and the onset of spin density wave order in the cuprates