Superstripes and complexity in high-temperature superconductors

TL;DR

This paper discusses how the inherent complexity and heterogeneity in high-temperature superconductors, including lattice, electronic, and magnetic features, may be crucial for understanding and enhancing their superconducting properties.

Contribution

It introduces the 'superstripes' scenario, highlighting the role of nanoscale heterogeneity and phase separation in high-temperature superconductivity.

Findings

Complex heterostructures are essential for high Tc.

Nanoscale phase separation forms a landscape of superconducting droplets.

Interplay of magnetic, orbital, charge, and lattice fluctuations is key.

Abstract

While for many years the lattice, electronic and magnetic complexity of high-temperature superconductors (HTS) has been considered responsible for hindering the search of the mechanism of HTS now the complexity of HTS is proposed to be essential for the quantum mechanism raising the superconducting critical temperature. The complexity is shown by the lattice heterogeneous architecture: a) heterostructures at atomic limit; b) electronic heterogeneity: multiple components in the normal phase; c) superconducting heterogeneity: multiple superconducting gaps in different points of the real space and of the momentum space. The complex phase separation forms an unconventional granular superconductor in a landscape of nanoscale superconducting striped droplets which is called the "superstripes" scenario. The interplay and competition between magnetic orbital charge and lattice fluctuations seems to be essential for the quantum mechanism that suppresses thermal decoherence effects at an optimum inhomogeneity.