Coherence factors in a high-Tc cuprate probed by quasi-particle scattering off vortices

TL;DR

This study uses Fourier-transform scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to reveal how magnetic fields influence quasi-particle scattering and coherence factors in high-Tc cuprates, shedding light on their anisotropic superconducting gap structure.

Contribution

It introduces a new method to detect momentum-dependent coherence factors in high-Tc cuprates and demonstrates the magnetic field's effect on quasi-particle scattering and gap structure.

Findings

Magnetic field dependence in quasi-particle scattering sensitive to gap sign

Vortices act as quasi-particle scattering centers

Magnetic field enlarges gapless region around nodes

Abstract

Coherence factors are a hallmark of superconductivity as a pair-condensation phenomenon. When electrons pair, quasi-particles develop an acute sensitivity to different types of scattering potential, described by the appearance of coherence factors in the scattering amplitudes. While the effects of coherence factors are well established in isotropic superconductors, they are much harder to detect in their anisotropic counterparts, such as high-Tc cuprates. Here we demonstrate a new approach which highlights the momentum-dependent coherence factors in Ca2-xNaxCuO2Cl2. Using Fourier-transform scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to detect quasi-particle interference effects, our experiments reveal a magnetic-field dependence in quasi-particle scattering which is sensitive to the sign of the anisotropic gap. This result can be understood in terms of d-wave coherence factors and it exposes the role of vortices as quasi-particle scattering centers. We also show that a magnetic field gives rise to an enlarged gapless region around the gap nodes.