Time-reversal symmetry breaking by a $(d+id)$ density-wave state in underdoped cuprate superconductors

Abstract

It was proposed that the $i{d}_{x^2-y^2}$ density-wave state (DDW) may be responsible for the pseudogap behavior in the underdoped cuprates. Here we show that the admixture of a small $d_{xy}$ component to the DDW state breaks the symmetry between the counter-propagating orbital currents of the DDW state and, thus, violates the macroscopic time-reversal symmetry. This symmetry breaking results in a non-zero polar Kerr effect, which has recently been observed in the pseudogap phase.

4 pages, 3 eps figures; minor typos corrected, references updated, new title as suggested by the PRL editor; references updated, final version as published in PRL

References in corpus (8)

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• Polar Kerr Effect Measurements of YBa2Cu3O6+x: Evidence for Broken Symmetry Near the Pseudogap Temperature
• Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in YBa_2Cu_4O_8
• Exotic Superconducting Properties in the Electron-Hole Compensated Heavy Fermion `Semimetal' URu2Si2
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Cited by in corpus (13)

• Normal-state nodal electronic structure in underdoped high-Tc copper oxides
• Time-Reversal Symmetry Breaking and Spontaneous Anomalous Hall Effect in Fermi Fluids
• Frequency and temperature dependence of the anomalous Hall conductivity in a chiral px+ipy superconductor with impurities
• Kerr effect as evidence of gyrotropic order in the cuprates
• Exotic topological density waves in cold atomic Rydberg fermions
• Berry phase mediated topological thermoelectric transport in gapped single and bilayer graphene
• Anomalous Nernst effect from a chiral d-density wave state in underdoped cuprate superconductors
• Meissner effect without superconductivity from a chiral d-density wave
• Polar Kerr effect from a time-reversal symmetry breaking unidirectional charge density wave
• Constraints on the orbital flux phase in $A$V${}_3$Sb${}_5$ from polar Kerr effect
• Majorana Braiding Racetracks from Charge Chern Insulator - Superconductor Hybrids
• $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave density wave and $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconducting gap on the extended Hubbard model on a square lattice
• Interaction robustness of the chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals and Luttinger liquids from a mixed anomaly approach