Comment to: "Particle-hole symmetry breaking in the pseudogap state of Bi2201"

TL;DR

This paper discusses how ARPES data indicating particle-hole symmetry breaking in Bi2201's pseudogap state can be explained by inhomogeneous crystal fields, linking to charge inhomogeneities and high-temperature superconductivity theories.

Contribution

It offers an alternative interpretation of ARPES results, attributing symmetry breaking to static and dynamic inhomogeneous crystal fields rather than solely to spatial symmetry breaking.

Findings

Spectral broadening may result from inhomogeneous crystal fields.

Inter-band transfer of holes occurs below T* due to these fields.

Relevance to charge carrier inhomogeneities in HTS is proposed.

Abstract

Shen et al. [1] recently reported on ARPES data from Pb-Bi2201 revealing both particle-hole symmetry breaking and pronounced spectral broadening, which they interpret to be indicative of spatial symmetry breaking without long-range order at the opening of the pseudogap. Here is demonstrated how their results could be interpreted to reflect static and dynamic inhomogeneous crystal fields causing inter-band transfer of holes upon cooling below T*. Possible relevance to formation of charge carrier inhomogeneities is discussed, and put in perspective of a proposed quantum chemical understanding of HTS.