3 research outputs found
Theory of the nodal nematic quantum phase transition in superconductors
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.Comment: 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 PR