Dynamical charge density waves rule the phase diagram of cuprates

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive theory explaining the complex phase diagram of cuprates by emphasizing the role of dynamical charge density waves (CDWs) in their various phases, including pseudogap and quantum critical points.

Contribution

It introduces a unified scenario where dynamical CDWs explain multiple experimental observations and phase transitions in cuprates, resolving longstanding debates.

Findings

Dynamical CDWs account for the temperature-doping phase diagram.

CDWs explain the pseudogap onset temperature T*(p).

Fluctuating CDWs lead to Fermi surface reconstruction at lower doping.

Abstract

In the last few years charge density waves (CDWs) have been ubiquitously observed in high-temperature superconducting cuprates and are now the most investigated among the competing orders in the still hot debate on these systems. A wealth of new experimental data raise several fundamental issues that challenge the various theoretical proposals. Here, we account for the complex experimental temperature vs. doping phase diagram and we provide a coherent scenario explaining why different CDW onset curves are observed by different experimental probes and seem to extrapolate at zero temperature into seemingly different quantum critical points (QCPs) in the intermediate and overdoped region. We also account for the pseudogap and its onset temperature T*(p) on the basis of dynamically fluctuating CDWs. The nearly singular anisotropic scattering mediated by these fluctuations also account for the rapid changes of the Hall number seen in experiments and provides the first necessary step for a possible Fermi surface reconstruction fully establishing at lower doping. Finally we show that phase fluctuations of the CDWs, which are enhanced in the presence of strong correlations near the Mott insulating phase, naturally account for the disappearance of the CDWs at low doping with yet another QCP.