Hidden Ferronematic Order in Underdoped Cuprates

TL;DR

This paper proposes a model for underdoped cuprates where stripe segments form a ferronematic state with broken inversion symmetry, explaining experimental spin structure factors and incommensurability behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a ferronematic phase in cuprates, linking charge nematicity with spin incommensurability and experimental observations.

Findings

Reproduces doping-dependent spin structure factors accurately.

Explains temperature dependence of incommensurability.

Predicts inversion symmetry breaking in the ferronematic state.

Abstract

We study a model for low doped cuprates where holes aggregate into oriented stripe segments which have a vortex and an antivortex fixed to the extremes. We argue that due to the interaction between segments a state with macroscopic polarization is stabilized, which we call a ferronematic. This state can be characterized as a charge nematic which, due to the net polarization, breaks inversion symmetry and also exhibits an incommensurate spin modulation. Our calculation can reproduce the doping dependent spin structure factor of lanthanum cuprates in excellent agreement with experiment and allows to rationalize experiments in which the incommensurability has an order parameter-like temperature dependence.