Nodal quasiparticles and the onset of spin density wave order in the cuprates

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework for understanding the emergence of spin density wave order in the superconducting state of cuprates, analyzing the stability of the fixed point and the role of quasiparticles and disorder.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of the scaling dimensions of perturbations at a relativistic fixed point with specific symmetries, including effects on fermionic quasiparticles and disorder.

Findings

Perturbations with square lattice symmetry are likely irrelevant.

Fermion spectral functions are mainly damped by coupling to Ising nematic fluctuations.

Quenched disorder influences the stability and spectral properties.

Abstract

We present a theory for the onset of spin density wave order in the superconducting ground state of the cuprates. We compute the scaling dimensions of allowed perturbations of a `relativistic' fixed point with O(4)xO(3) symmetry, including those associated with the fermionic nodal Bogoliubov quasiparticles. Analyses of up to six loops show that all perturbations with square lattice symmetry are likely irrelevant. We demonstrate that the fermion spectral functions are primarily damped by the coupling to fluctuations of a composite field with Ising nematic order. We also discuss the influence of quenched disorder.