Signatures of orbital loop currents in the spatially resolved local density of states

TL;DR

This paper predicts observable signatures of orbital loop currents in the local density of states, revealing C4 symmetry breaking near impurities, which could be detected experimentally to confirm loop current order in pseudogap phases.

Contribution

It provides theoretical calculations of local density of states signatures of orbital loop currents coexisting with superconductivity, linking magnetism and impurity effects.

Findings

Distinct C4 symmetry breaking near impurities

Detectable quasi-particle interference patterns

Signature of circulating currents in local density of states

Abstract

Polarized neutron scattering measurements have suggested that intra-unit cell antiferromagnetism may be associated with the pseudogap phase. Assuming that loop current order is responsible for the observed magnetism, we calculate some signatures of such circulating currents in the local density of states around a single non-magnetic impurity in a coexistence phase with superconductivity. We find a distinct C4 symmetry breaking near the disorder which is also detectable in the resulting quasi-particle interference patterns.