Quasiparticle Scattering Interference in High Temperature Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper presents a theoretical framework explaining energy-dependent spatial modulations in high-temperature superconductors as resulting from quasiparticle scattering interference, supported by exact calculations matching experimental observations.

Contribution

It introduces a general theoretical basis for quasiparticle scattering interference and validates it with exact T-matrix calculations for impurity scattering.

Findings

Quasiparticle scattering interference can produce observed LDOS modulations.

Exact T-matrix calculations support the interference interpretation.

The model aligns with experimental data from Hoffman et al.

Abstract

We propose that the energy-dependent spatial modulation of the local density of states seen by Hoffman, et al [hoff2] is due to the scattering interference of quasiparticles. In this paper we present the general theoretical basis for such an interpretation and lay out the underlying assumptions. As an example, we perform exact T-matrix calculation for the scattering due to a single impurity. The results of this calculation is used to check the assumptions, and demonstrate that quasiparticle scattering interference can indeed produce patterns similar to those observed in Ref. [hoff2].