Implications of Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering Data for Theoretical Models of Cuprates

TL;DR

Recent resonant inelastic X-ray scattering data suggest that cuprate superconductors do not fully conform to existing models, challenging the modified t-J model in underdoped regimes and the Fermi liquid behavior in overdoped regimes.

Contribution

The paper provides new insights by showing that current models fail to explain high energy magnetic excitations and spin spectral weight distribution in cuprates.

Findings

Modified t-J model fails near optimal doping.

Overdoped cuprates exhibit spin spectral weight similar to undoped compounds.

Spectral sum rule saturation occurs at ~2J, not the entire bandwidth.

Abstract

There are two commonly discussed points of view in theoretical description of cuprate superconductors, (i) Cuprates can be described by the modified t-J model. (ii) Overdoped cuprates are close to the regime of normal Fermi liquid (NFL). We argue that recent resonant inelastic X-ray scattering data challenge both points. While the modified t-J model describes well the strongly underdoped regime, it fails to describe high energy magnetic excitations when approaching optimal doping. This probably indicates failure of the Zhang-Rice singlet picture. In the overdoped regime the momentum-integrated spin structure factor S(\omega) has the same intensity and energy distribution as that in an undoped parent compound. This implies that the entire spin spectral sum rule is saturated at \omega ~ 2J, while in a NFL the spectral weight should saturate only at the total bandwidth which is much larger than 2J.