Hot Spots on the Fermi Surface of Bi2212: Stripes versus Superstructure

TL;DR

This paper clarifies that observed features on the Fermi surface of Bi2212 are due to superstructure and shadow bands, not stripes, resolving previous conflicting interpretations from ARPES measurements.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate that superstructure and shadow bands explain the ARPES features, challenging the interpretation of stripes and pseudogap evidence in Bi2212.

Findings

Superstructure and shadow bands account for observed ARPES features.

No need to invoke stripes to explain hot spots and bands.

Reinterpretation resolves previous contradictions in ARPES data.

Abstract

In a recent paper Saini et al. have reported evidence for a pseudogap around (pi,0) at room temperature in the optimally doped superconductor Bi2212. This result is in contradiction with previous ARPES measurements. Furthermore they observed at certain points on the Fermi surface hot spots of high spectral intensity which they relate to the existence of stripes in the CuO planes. They also claim to have identified a new electronic band along Gamma-M1 whose one dimensional character provides further evidence for stripes. We demonstrate in this Comment that all the measured features can be simply understood by correctly considering the superstructure (umklapp) and shadow bands which occur in Bi2212.