Electronic checkerboard pattern in striped racetrack domains: a consistent picture of recent neutron and STM experiments

TL;DR

This paper proposes a consistent physical model for high-T_c cuprates under magnetic fields, explaining neutron and STM experimental results through antiferromagnetic vortex cores and stripe interference patterns.

Contribution

It introduces a unified picture of vortex-induced stripe pinning and electronic checkerboard patterns, aligning neutron scattering and STM observations in cuprates.

Findings

Neutron scattering data supports antiphase stripe modulation around vortex cores.

Calculated electronic structure shows checkerboard interference matching STM results.

Model provides a coherent explanation for magnetic field effects in high-T_c cuprates.

Abstract

We discuss recent elastic neutron scattering and scanning tunneling experiments on high-T_c cuprates exposed to an applied magnetic field. In particular we show that a physical picture consisting of antiferromagnetic vortex cores operating as pinning centers for surrounding stripes is qualitatively consistent with the neutron data provided the stripes have the usual antiphase modulation. Further, we calculate the electronic structure in such a region using a T-matrix method, and find a checkerboard interference pattern consistent with recent scanning tunneling experiments.