Suppression of superconductivity at nematic critical point in underdoped cuprates

TL;DR

This paper investigates how nematic quantum critical fluctuations suppress superconductivity in underdoped cuprates, revealing a strong reduction in superfluid density and critical temperature, and proposing a method to locate the nematic critical point.

Contribution

The study develops an effective field theory to quantify the suppression of superconductivity by nematic critical fluctuations in cuprates.

Findings

Superfluid density is strongly suppressed near the nematic critical point.

Superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ decreases due to nematic fluctuations.

The suppression pattern can help identify the nematic quantum critical point.

Abstract

A nematic quantum critical point is anticipated to exist in the superconducting dome of some high-temperature superconductors. The nematic order competes with the superconducting order and hence reduces the superconducting condensate at $T = 0$. Moreover, the critical fluctuations of nematic order can excite more nodal quasiparticles out of the condensate. We address these two effects within an effective field theory and show that superfluid density $\rho^s(T)$ and superconducting temperature $T_c$ are both suppressed strongly by the critical fluctuations. The strong suppression of superconductivity provides a possible way to determine the nematic quantum critical point.