Strongly correlated ladders in K-doped $p$-terphenyl crystals

TL;DR

This paper investigates potassium-doped terphenyl crystals, modeling them as weakly coupled one-dimensional ladders, and explores their potential for superconductivity and various magnetic phases depending on inter-ladder coupling strength.

Contribution

It provides a detailed many-body electronic structure analysis of potassium-doped terphenyl, highlighting its ladder-like nature and phase behavior under different coupling conditions.

Findings

System can be modeled as weakly coupled 1D ladders.

Inter-ladder coupling influences magnetic and superconducting phases.

Potential for novel superconductivity in this material.

Abstract

Potassium-doped terphenyl has recently attracted attention as a potential host for high-transition-temperature superconductivity. Here, we elucidate the many-body electronic structure of recently synthesized potassium-doped terphenyl crystals. We show that this system may be understood as a set of weakly coupled one-dimensional ladders. Depending on the strength of the inter-ladder coupling the system may exhibit spin-gapped valence-bond solid or antiferromagnetic phases, both of which upon hole doping may give rise to superconductivity. This terphenyl-based ladder material serves as a new platform for investigating the fate of ladder phases in presence of three-dimensional coupling as well as for novel superconductivity.