Stripes and Superconductivity in Cuprates

TL;DR

This paper discusses how stripe correlations in cuprates influence superconductivity, highlighting that while static stripes can hinder coherence, dynamic stripes and magnetic fields may enhance superconducting stability.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the role of stripe correlations, especially dynamic ones, in the coexistence and competition with superconductivity in cuprates.

Findings

Stripe correlations are common in cuprates.

Magnetic fields can induce stripe order that stabilizes superconductivity.

Static stripe order can suppress phase coherence.

Abstract

Holes doped into the CuO2 planes of cuprate parent compounds frustrate the antiferromagnetic order. The development of spin and charge stripes provides a compromise between the competing magnetic and kinetic energies. Static stripe order has been observed only in certain particular compounds, but there are signatures which suggest that dynamic stripe correlations are common in the cuprates. Though stripe order is bad for superconducting phase coherence, stripes are compatible with strong pairing. Ironically, magnetic-field-induced stripe order appears to enhance the stability of superconducting order within the planes.