Checkerboard local density of states in striped domains pinned by vortices

TL;DR

This paper models the electronic structure around vortices in a d-wave superconductor, explaining checkerboard patterns observed in experiments through a Green's function approach considering magnetic and non-magnetic perturbations.

Contribution

It introduces a Green's function formalism to analyze vortex-induced electronic structures, linking experimental observations with a physical model of stripe pinning in high-T_c cuprates.

Findings

Checkerboard patterns match STM observations.

Antiferromagnetic vortex cores pin stripe domains.

Model aligns with neutron scattering data.

Abstract

Within a Green's function formalism we calculate the electronic structure around static extended magnetic and non-magnetic perturbations in a d-wave superconductor. In partucular, we discuss recent elastic neutron scattering and scanning tunneling experiments on High-T_c cuprates exposed to an applied magnetic field. 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. The low energy electronic structure in such a region reveals a checkerboard interference pattern consistent with recent scanning tunneling experiments.