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Spin-gap proximity effect mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity

Spin-gap proximity effect mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity When holes are doped into an antiferromagnetic insulator they form a slowly fluctuating array of “topological defects” (metallic stripes) in which the motion of the holes exhibits a self-organized quasi-one-dimensional electronic character. The accompanying lateral confinement of the intervening Mott-insulating regions induces a spin gap or pseudogap in the environment of the stripes. We present a theory of underdoped high-temperature superconductors and show that there is a local separation of spin and charge and that the mobile holes on an individual stripe acquire a spin gap via pair hopping between the stripe and its environment, i.e., via a magnetic analog of the usual superconducting proximity effect. In this way a high pairing scale without a large mass renormalization is established despite the strong Coulomb repulsion between the holes. Thus the mechanism of pairing is the generation of a spin gap in spatially confined Mott-insulating regions of the material in the proximity of the metallic stripes. At nonvanishing stripe densities, Josephson coupling between stripes produces a dimensional crossover to a state with long-range superconducting phase coherence. This picture is established by obtaining exact and well-controlled approximate solutions of a model of a one-dimensional electron gas in an active environment. An extended discussion of the experimental evidence supporting the relevance of these results to the cuprate superconductors is given. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Physical Review B American Physical Society (APS)

Spin-gap proximity effect mechanism of high-temperature superconductivity

Emery, V. J
Physical Review B , Volume 56 (10) – Sep 1, 1997
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References (16)

Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 The American Physical Society
ISSN
1095-3795
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevB.56.6120
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

When holes are doped into an antiferromagnetic insulator they form a slowly fluctuating array of “topological defects” (metallic stripes) in which the motion of the holes exhibits a self-organized quasi-one-dimensional electronic character. The accompanying lateral confinement of the intervening Mott-insulating regions induces a spin gap or pseudogap in the environment of the stripes. We present a theory of underdoped high-temperature superconductors and show that there is a local separation of spin and charge and that the mobile holes on an individual stripe acquire a spin gap via pair hopping between the stripe and its environment, i.e., via a magnetic analog of the usual superconducting proximity effect. In this way a high pairing scale without a large mass renormalization is established despite the strong Coulomb repulsion between the holes. Thus the mechanism of pairing is the generation of a spin gap in spatially confined Mott-insulating regions of the material in the proximity of the metallic stripes. At nonvanishing stripe densities, Josephson coupling between stripes produces a dimensional crossover to a state with long-range superconducting phase coherence. This picture is established by obtaining exact and well-controlled approximate solutions of a model of a one-dimensional electron gas in an active environment. An extended discussion of the experimental evidence supporting the relevance of these results to the cuprate superconductors is given.

Journal

Physical Review B – American Physical Society (APS)

Published: Sep 1, 1997

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