Energy-Dependent LDOS Modulation in Cuprate Superconductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates how weak extended defects cause energy-dependent local density of states modulations in cuprate superconductors, aligning with recent STM experiments and predicting new observable wave vectors.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of defect-induced LDOS modulations in d-wave superconductors, matching experimental data and predicting new features for future verification.

Findings

Numerical LDOS maps match experimental features

Energy-dependent charge modulation wave vectors identified

Prediction of new modulation wave vectors in the Brillouin zone

Abstract

Motivated by the recent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiment [J. E. Hoffman, {\it et al.}, Science {\bf 297}, 1148 (2002)], we investigate the energy-dependent modulation induced by a weak and extended defect in a d-wave superconductor. The Fourier component of the local density of states (LDOS) is calculated up to the first order in the defect parameters. Our numerically obtained image maps together with the energy-dependent charge modulation wave vectors at different dopings exhibit the essential features as those measured by the experiment. We also predict new modulation wave vectors in the first Brillouin zone. Hopefully, they could be verified by future STM experiments.