Phase transitions in superconductor liquid crystals

TL;DR

This paper investigates phase transitions in two-dimensional superconductor liquid crystals, focusing on the competition between Pair Density Wave and nematic 4e superconductor phases, highlighting the role of nematic fluctuations.

Contribution

It provides a new analysis of the phase diagram and a geometric description of the nematic 4e superconductor, emphasizing the effects of nematic fluctuations.

Findings

Nematic fluctuations favor the 4e superconductor phase.

PDW state exists only at zero temperature without lattice effects.

Low temperature phase is a nematic 4e superconductor with short-range PDW order.

Abstract

We study properties of phase transitions of 2D superconductor liquid crystal phases, and analyze the competition between the recently proposed Pair Density Wave (PDW) and nematic $4e$ superconductor ($4e$SC). Nematic fluctuations enhance the $4e$SC and suppress the PDW phase. In the absence of lattice effects, the PDW state exists only at T=0 and the low temperature phase is a nematic $4e$SC with short ranged PDW order. A geometric description of the $4e$ SC is presented.