3 research outputs found
Hidden Order in the Cuprates
We propose that the enigmatic pseudogap phase of cuprate superconductors is
characterized by a hidden broken symmetry of d(x^2-y^2)-type. The transition to
this state is rounded by disorder, but in the limit that the disorder is made
sufficiently small, the pseudogap crossover should reveal itself to be such a
transition. The ordered state breaks time-reversal, translational, and
rotational symmetries, but it is invariant under the combination of any two. We
discuss these ideas in the context of ten specific experimental properties of
the cuprates, and make several predictions, including the existence of an
as-yet undetected metal-metal transition under the superconducting dome.Comment: 12 pages of RevTeX, 9 eps figure