Vortex and disclination structures in a nematic-superconductor state

TL;DR

This paper investigates the structure and interactions of topological defects in a nematic-superconductor state, revealing a coupling between vortices and disclinations, and identifying a phase transition in defect lattice symmetries.

Contribution

It introduces a Ginzburg-Landau model to analyze vortex-disclination coupling and predicts a structural phase transition in defect arrangements.

Findings

Vortices are strongly coupled with disclinations due to geometrical effects.

A harmonic restoring force exists between vortices and disclinations.

A phase transition occurs between different vortex-disclination lattice symmetries.

Abstract

The nematic-superconductor state is an example of a quantum liquid crystal that breaks gauge as well as rotation invariance. It was conjectured to exist in the pseudogap regime of the cuprates high $T_c$ superconductors. The nematic-superconductor state is characterized by two complex order parameters: one of them is related with superconductivity and the other one describes a nematic order. It supports two main classes of topological defects: half-vortices and disclinations. In this paper we present a Ginzburg-Landau approach to study the structure of these topological defects. Due to a geometrical coupling between the superconductor and the nematic order parameters, we show that vortices are strongly coupled with disclinations. We have found a restoring force between vortices and disclinations that produces harmonic excitations whose natural frequency depends on the geometrical coupling constant and the superconductor condensation energy. Moreover, in a regime with high density of defects, we have found a structural phase transition between vortex-disclination lattices with different symmetries.