Two-Hole Bound States from a Systematic Low-Energy Effective Field Theory for Magnons and Holes in an Antiferromagnet

TL;DR

This paper develops a systematic low-energy effective field theory for magnons and holes in antiferromagnets, predicting bound states with d-wave symmetry relevant to high-temperature superconductors.

Contribution

It constructs a universal effective theory for magnons and holes in antiferromagnets, deriving analytical solutions for two-hole bound states with specific symmetries.

Findings

Derived one-magnon exchange potentials between holes.

Solved two-hole Schrödinger equations analytically in some cases.

Found bound states with d-wave characteristics and specific symmetries.

Abstract

Identifying the correct low-energy effective theory for magnons and holes in an antiferromagnet has remained an open problem for a long time. In analogy to the effective theory for pions and nucleons in QCD, based on a symmetry analysis of Hubbard and t-J-type models, we construct a systematic low-energy effective field theory for magnons and holes located inside pockets centered at lattice momenta (\pm pi/2a,\pm pi/2a). The effective theory is based on a nonlinear realization of the spontaneously broken spin symmetry and makes model-independent universal predictions for the entire class of lightly doped antiferromagnetic precursors of high-temperature superconductors. The predictions of the effective theory are exact, order by order in a systematic low-energy expansion. We derive the one-magnon exchange potentials between two holes in an otherwise undoped system. Remarkably, in some cases the corresponding two-hole Schr\"odinger equations can even be solved analytically. The resulting bound states have d-wave characteristics. The ground state wave function of two holes residing in different hole pockets has a d_{x^2-y^2}-like symmetry, while for two holes in the same pocket the symmetry resembles d_{xy}.