Collective modes and quasiparticle interference on the local density of states of cuprate superconductors

TL;DR

This paper investigates how collective modes like spin and charge density waves influence the local density of states in cuprate superconductors, using theoretical models to explain recent experimental observations.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical analysis of quasiparticle interference and collective modes in cuprates, linking them to observed LDOS modulations in STM experiments.

Findings

Collective modes significantly affect low-energy LDOS in cuprates.

Theoretical results align with recent STM observations.

Spin/charge density waves are relevant excitations in cuprates.

Abstract

The energy, momentum and temperature dependence of the quasiparticle local density of states (LDOS) of a two-dimensional $d_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconductor with random disorder is investigated using the first-order T-matrix approximation. The results suggest that collective modes such as spin/charge density waves are relevant low-energy excitations of the cuprates that contribute to the observed LDOS modulations in recent scanning tunneling microscopy studies of $\rm Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_x$.