Big, Fast Vortices in the d-RVB theory of High Temperature Superconductivity

TL;DR

This paper investigates how proximity to a Mott insulator affects vortex properties in a d-wave superconductor, revealing diverging core sizes, vanishing quasiparticle coupling, and doping-dependent vortex dissipation.

Contribution

It introduces a slave boson-U(1) gauge theory model to analyze vortex behavior near a Mott phase, highlighting new physical parameters and their effects on superflow and dissipation.

Findings

Vortex core size diverges near Mott phase

Superflow-quasiparticle coupling vanishes approaching Mott insulator

Vortex dissipation scales with the cube of doping

Abstract

The effect of proximity to a Mott insulating phase on the superflow properties of a d-wave superconductor is studied using the slave boson-U(1) gauge theory model. The model has two limits corresponding to superconductivity emerging either out of a 'renormalized fermi liquid' or out of a non-fermi-liquid regime. Three crucial physical parameters are identified: the size of the vortex \textit{as determined from the supercurrent it induces;} the coupling of the superflow to the quasiparticles and the 'nondissipative time derivative' term. As the Mott phase is approached, the core size as defined from the supercurrent diverges, the coupling between superflow and quasiparticles vanishes, and the magnitude of the nondissipative time derivative dramatically increases. The dissipation due to a moving vortex is found to vary as the third power of the doping. The upper critical field and the size of the critical regime in which paraconductivity may be observed are estimated, and found to be controlled by the supercurrent length scale.