Vorticity, phase stiffness and the cuprate phase diagram

TL;DR

This paper reviews vortex-Nernst experiments in cuprates, revealing persistent vortex-like excitations above the superconducting transition and providing insights into the phase diagram and critical fields.

Contribution

It offers a comprehensive analysis of vortex-Nernst data to understand phase coherence loss and critical fields in cuprates, highlighting the role of vortex excitations.

Findings

Vortex-like excitations persist above $T_{c0}$

Nernst signal determines $H_{c2}$ vs. doping

Implications for the cuprate phase diagram

Abstract

We review results obtained from vortex-Nernst experiments in cuprates. Evidence for a loss of phase coherence at the Meissner transition $T_{c0}$ is derived from vortex-like excitations that persist to high temperature. Below $T_{c0}$, the Nersnt signal provides a determination of the upper critical field $H_{c2}$ vs. doping $x$. Implications for the cuprate phase diagram are discussed.