Orbital currents and cheap vortices in underdoped cuprates

Abstract

In the past several years, we have developed a theory for the underdoped cuprates in collaboration with X.-G. Wen, based on an SU(2) formulation of the t-J model. In this formulation, the staggered flux state plays a central role as the progenitor of the Neel state at half-filling and a close competitor to the d-wave superconductor with small doping where it is characterized by staggered orbital currents. We found support for this point of view when we discovered fluctuating orbital currents in the Gutzwiller projected BCS wavefunction. We shall argue that low-energy vortices, where the staggered flux state is stabilized in the core, are needed to explain many of the unusual properties of underdoped cuprates. Proposed experiments to look for these orbital currents will be discussed.

Proceedings of LT23 Conference Updated references and corrected typos

References in corpus (6)

• The high-field phase diagram of the cuprates derived from the Nernst effect
• Evidence for Static Magnetism in the Vortex Cores of Ortho-II YBa${}_2$Cu${}_3$O${}_{6.50}$
• Absence of a pseudogap in the in-plane infrared response of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+d)
• Staggered local density-of-states around the vortex in underdoped cuprates
• Staggered currents in the mixed state
• Signature of the staggered flux state around a superconducting vortex in underdoped cuprates

Cited by in corpus (6)

• The Nernst effect in high-$T_c$ superconductors
• Temporal correlations of superconductivity above the transition temperature in La${}_{2-x}$Sr${}_x$CuO${}_4$ probed by terahertz spectroscopy
• Strongly Correlated Superconductivity and Pseudogap Phase near a multi-band Mott Insulator
• Vorticity and vortex-core states
• SU(2) approach to the pseudogap phase of high-temperature superconductors: electronic spectral functions
• Theory of Diamagnetism in the Pseudogap Phase: Implications from the Self energy of Angle Resolved Photoemission